


Ayudame, Por Favor ((Jori - Victorious - Tori Vega x Jade West))

by everythingisundercontrol



Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: Depression, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, jades not doing great oop, sikowitz is still the ship captain and we love him for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-17 21:54:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 29,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21600346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythingisundercontrol/pseuds/everythingisundercontrol
Summary: The gang has graduated, gone to college, and are now starting their adult lives. Tori tries to start up her music career, but realizes that she has a passion for teaching. She returns to Hollywood Arts as a choir director/music teacher, and finds Jade, who is now an art teacher and runs the drama club.Jade's drama club is highly successful, and has a tradition of taking a trip in the summer every 4 years. This year, they picked Argentina, because most of the club plans on performing Evita during the new school year.Tori decides to volunteer to chaperone the trip...mostly to go to Argentina, but maybe, just maybe, she wants to spend more time with Jade...
Relationships: Tori Vega & Jade West, Tori Vega/Jade West
Comments: 103
Kudos: 308





	1. Here I Am, Once Again

**Author's Note:**

> heyyyy guys! this is my first work ever! please bear with me. I've written fanfic privately a few times but i've never published. I also haven't written in a while, so sorry if it's not the greatest! i saw a tiktok about jori and fell down a youtube hole, so i decided why not write a fanfic. 
> 
> i had this idea for a fic a while ago when i took my school trip, so a lot of the story is gonna be based off of my own trip. 
> 
> mostly fluff, but maybe a little angst. when i write angst, it tends to get realllllly cheesy, so if i do decide to make it angsty i'll definitely try to work on that beforehand :)
> 
> hope you decide to stick around! not sure how long it's gonna be yet.  
> i also want to start posting more works soon, so stay with me for that! i have an orange is the new black fic idea that I started, so if you're interested, stay tuned!
> 
> -jenna :)

It had been _years_ since Tori Vega had visited Hollywood Arts High School, but all it took was one step in the door for her to realize she was home. Hollywood Arts hadn’t changed at all: the customized lockers, music everywhere, kids dancing and singing in the hallways, even the smell was the same, which Tori found weird but comforting. 

Tori smiled, and realized she was still standing in the doorway. This was her first day as a teacher at Hollywood Arts, and although she thought she had changed, Tori still worried that she wouldn’t fit in. She thought back to her first day as a student. 

_ If Andre were here, he’d just pull me along with him and make everything fun, _ Tori thought, as she began to walk to her classroom,  _ so why do I need him? I can make it fun on my own! _

Tori was reminded of how crazy the hallways of Hollywood Arts were almost instantly. Kids filled every inch, and the explosion of talent was impossible to contain. She had to dodge to avoid getting paint splattered on her, and the music was  _ everywhere _ . 

_ This is home. _

* * *

Tori barely made it into her classroom safely. Shoving her bag under her desk, Tori took a moment to look around. A piano sat near the front of the room, and stacked piles of chairs lined the back. Another wall was surrounded by music stands, and a door in the back corner led to the music storage room. Tori sat down at the piano, admiring it, and reached to play a chord.

“Tori Vega, in the flesh!”

Tori jerked around. An old man with sparse, graying hair and a curly beard was grinning at her. His clothes were basically rags, and he had no shoes. Between the beard, the clothes, and his strange assortment of costume jewelry, the man looked like a cross between a hobo and a psychic medium, with the vibe of William Shakespeare. 

Tori smiled. “ _ Sikowitz!  _ Oh my god, I can’t believe it’s you!” They hugged, and Sikowitz moved around the room, looking mostly at the piano.

“Well Tori, I am  _ so _ glad you’re back! But I must say, I’m glad you went for this position and not mine. I would’ve hated to have to kill you,” Sikowitz said matter-of-factly, sitting cross-legged in the center of the room and staring intensely at Tori.

Tori’s eyebrows furrowed. “You kill people that try to take your job?” she asked.

Sikowitz just stared back at her. “Of course.”

Mildly concerned, Tori stared at Sikowitz for a moment, but as always, he was the same. Serious, but impossible to take seriously. 

“Ok, well, thanks for that, but I better start prepping my classroom. First day!” Tori said, leaning back under her desk to reach for her bag. 

Sikowitz stood. “Well, best of luck to you! The previous teacher was charming, but surely you’ll do better. I’ll be on my way now!”

Tori smiled under the desk. Same old Sikowitz. She really had missed him. 

“Oh, and one more thing!” Sikowitz cried from the doorway, “You should pay a visit to Jade during your lunch break! You have the same one, and she always just sits in her room by herself. She’d probably like to see you!” 

Tori stood up suddenly and hit her head on the desk. Rubbing the back of her head, she looked up at Sikowitz. “Jade? Jade West?”

Sikowitz nodded. “Oh yes, haven’t you heard?  _ Jade  _ is our painting teacher and one of the drama club coordinators, myself being the other!” 

Tori was speechless. Jade being a teacher was something she hadn’t expected in the slightest, and  _ certainly _ wasn’t part of “the same old Hollywood Arts.”

“But Jade hates people,” Tori argued.

Sikowitz sighed. “Don’t we all,” he sang, swaying out of the doorway and heading toward his classroom. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhh ok i tried to make it sound like the show's dialogue, but like i mentioned, i haven't written in a while so it lowkey sounds weird but yeah! that's the first chapter!
> 
> next chapter is when jade comes in. i don't think the focus is gonna stay on tori for the whole story, but idk how that's gonna work so we'll see i guess :)


	2. Tacos Are Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori eat lunch together in Jade's classroom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so ik jade isn't canonically an art person but in this fic she is bc i couldn't have her teach music or take sikowitz's job
> 
> basically a mini lunch date featuring jade's weird obsession with scissors ;)
> 
> also the reason jade is a little nice to tori at this point is bc in this fic she's always been a little gay for tori. just figured i'd explain that bc i haaaate fics that make edgy characters into soft children.

The first half of Tori’s day had gone great! All of her classes were full of talented, well-behaved, and fun students. She left for lunch feeling thrilled, and decided to grab a panini from the Grub Truck. She was just about to head back to her room when she realized she was in the art hallway.

Murals covered every wall, which wasn’t unusual for Hollywood Arts, but this hallway was different. There was literally no free space left, not even on the ceiling. The art hallway during Tori’s years as a student had been impressive, but this was a new level. The art seemed to pop off the walls, surrounding Tori and making her feel a little claustrophobic. Tori was alone in the hallway, and she felt like she was intruding on the art’s privacy. Almost like the art itself  _ was _ the rebellious teenagers who had made it. 

_ This has to be Jade _ . Tori knew she had to go see her. 

All of the doors in the art hallway were closed, but Tori could see in through the windows next to them. Some of the rooms were dark and empty, and some were filled with classes. At the very end of the hallway, however, there was a room with its lights on, but no people. 

_ She must be out of sight, _ Tori thought, and pushed open the door. 

* * *

“Who is in my room?” someone shouted.

Tori gasped. 

The hallway was nothing compared to Jade’s classroom. Tori, having never been an art student, had never seen any of the art classrooms before, but there was no way they had ever been this crazy. Every part of the room was splattered in paint, except for the walls, which were covered in more murals and paintings. Student artwork rested on counters that lined the walls, and the tables and chairs were covered in art supplies. Tori looked up at the ceiling and saw paint splatters everywhere, along with a tight cluster of pencils, scissors, and other sharp objects stuck to the ceiling above Jade’s desk. 

Tori’s attention was suddenly called back to the other person in the room, who had stood up and was now cleaning paintbrushes. Sure enough, it was Jade. 

“Jade, oh my god,” Tori said breathlessly, “this is...amazing!”

Jade turned away from her paintbrushes and looked at Tori. “Thanks,” she said dryly, and went back to cleaning her brushes. 

Tori walked closer to Jade, sat down on a table, and pulled out her panini. Before she could take a bite, Jade turned back around.

“What are you doing here? Not that I care,” Jade asked. “I kinda hoped you died, but of course you didn’t.” She sighed dramatically.

Tori knew not to take offense to this, and instead smiled, because here was Jade. Same, old, kill-you-in-your-sleep-if-you-touch-me Jade. The Jade that hated her. The Jade that threw scissors at the ceiling when she got bored because she  _ could _ . The Jade that made hallways that threatened you and rooms that took your breath away. Tori had to admit, she missed Jade. 

“Sikowitz came to see me this morning. He said you always eat lunch alone, so I thought I’d eat with you!” Tori said happily. At long last, she bit into her panini. Just as good as she remembered. 

Jade dropped her brush. “I eat alone.”

“Yeah, that’s what Sikowitz said, but now I’m here!” Tori replied. 

Jade turned around again and locked eyes with Tori. Jade’s stare was different from Sikowitz’s, and Tori had remembered. Sikowitz’s stare was a playful challenge, daring you to join him in his game, begging you to take up the part he was offering you. But Jade’s stare was a true challenge, ripping into your mind and daring you to  _ think _ that you were serious about what you just said. Tori knew Jade’s stare all too well, and therefore, even after all these years, it failed to scare her. 

Jade realized this, and backed off. Again, she went back to cleaning brushes. 

Tori scooched closer to the edge of the table and smiled. “I would’ve bought you a panini but I didn’t know if you’d like it.”

“I have a taco, but thanks,” Jade said plainly. 

Tori chewed her panini awkwardly. “Tacos are fun.”

Jade slammed her hand down on the sink. “Ok, Tori, look. You can sit here, you can eat with me, and you can even talk to me! Congrats! But you  _ cannot _ be awkward. I hate awkwardness, it’s boring, and I won’t have it in my classroom.”

The stare had been nothing, but this side of Jade actually startled Tori, if only for a moment. “Alright, sure!”

Jade put down her brushes and moved over to her desk to get her taco. “Thank you,” she said calmly. 

The two girls ate silently for a moment. Occasionally, Tori would look around and notice something new about the room. There was just so much to see, so it was impossible to notice  _ everything _ in the room. Eventually, Tori turned back to Jade.

“So how have you been? I haven’t seen you in  _ forever. _ ”

“THANK YOU, CATHERINE OBVIOUS!” Jade yelled, knocking some art supplies off her desk. 

Tori smiled. Although she hadn’t followed Jade’s “no awkwardness” rule, she loved the reference to high school. 

She even thought she saw Jade stifle a smile too. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uploaded the first two chapters of this fic + two of my oitnb fic tonight!!  
> I'm pretty exhausted tho so that's it for now. not sure when i'll be able to update again but i loveeee this ship + this idea so :)
> 
> see y'all soon  
> jenna :)


	3. Tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade gets home after a long day of teaching (Tori's first day).

**TW for this chapter: depression. it’s not terrible and I made sure not to include anything that might actually send someone back to a dark place.**

**...also Jade is realllly gay so that’s fun :)**

**Jade’s POV (but still 3rd person)**

Standing in the cool night air outside her apartment, Jade sluggishly fished her keys out of her bag. School had ended hours ago, but Jade had stayed an extra few hours to help the drama club and then had to run errands at the mall. Dragging bags of food and clothes, she’d finally made it home just as the sun had set. _And_ _now she couldn’t find her keys._

She reached in her pocket and laughed sarcastically. Of course, there were the keys. Finally. She turned them in the door and the lock clicked quietly. 

Jade’s apartment was depressing compared to her classroom. Dark, messy, and always chilly, Jade’s apartment fit her gothic aesthetic much more than her classroom did. Makeup products covered her dresser, and stacks of art leaned against the walls, but otherwise Jade’s apartment was empty. She didn’t have a whole lot of money, and the money she did have was spent on art and makeup, obviously. To Jade, Hollywood Arts felt more like home than her apartment, but honestly? Jade didn’t like the feeling of “home.” Home was too limiting. 

Home also reminded Jade that she was alone. She and Beck had broken up exactly one year after they graduated, but she never really liked him anyway. Being with Beck made everyone else notice and stay away from Jade. He also made every other girl hate Jade, which was perfect. Beck was the perfect barrier from the drag of high school girl cliques, but after high school, he was useless to Jade. 

Contrary to her edgy aesthetic, Jade craved true love. She hated that she did, but she’d admit it anyway. She wanted someone to make her _feel_ something. Someone to keep her from throwing knives at the ceiling, keep her excited. She wanted someone to make her hate “home” a little less. 

And although no one else knew, Jade wanted a girlfriend. A wife. A girl, not Beck. Everyone had seen her and Beck and assumed they were perfect. But Jade hated perfection, and she loved girls. _Shit,_ she LOVED girls. She loved every single fucking thing about girls. Big and obvious things, little subtle things, and every fucking thing in between. When she looked at Beck, the hottest guy at Hollywood Arts, she had wanted to use him against others. But when she looked at girls, she wanted _them,_ not their benefits. Damn, Jade was so gay. And she _loved_ it. 

Jade laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. Maybe she’d sleep in her clothes again. She had to at least take off her shoes, but maybe she’d just curl up in her makeup and jewelry and clothes and pretend nothing mattered. Imagination had made Jade’s life, so what was a little pretending, really? Pretending made Jade, so it had a right to tear her down too. She’d pay for it in the morning. But _morning_ , what a concept. Was tomorrow a real thing that people believed it?

As usual, Jade laughed at herself. _Stupid. If I leave this makeup on, I’ll break out. Plus my Urban Decay palette is supposed to be delivered soon, so I can’t break out._

She pulled herself up and grabbed her makeup wipes. She pulled her combat boots off and threw them at the door. She changed, and brushed her hair. 

Tomorrow was a real thing, and for the first time in years, Tori Vega was a part of it. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> literally every time I write "drama club" i get the melanie song stuck in my head. lowkey annoying but it's fine :)))
> 
> also i was listening to the melodrama album by lorde while writing this so it became sad boi hour pretty quickly oops 
> 
> gonna try to write another chapter tonight maybe :)
> 
> -jenna


	4. Buenos Aires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tori is feeling lonely during lunch.

**Tori’s POV**

Tori had been teaching for a few weeks now, and she loved every minute of it. Being a music teacher was perfect for Tori, and being back at Hollywood Arts made everything that much better. The students were all  _ so _ talented, and Tori sometimes wondered how she’d ever managed to get accepted. 

Almost every day, Tori ate lunch with Jade in Jade’s classroom. Jade usually ended up eating during her classes when her students were working on their projects, so she’d sort through supplies while she and Tori talked. Jade was still Jade, but at least she was a little nicer now. Somedays, Tori  _ almost  _ felt like they were friends, but then Jade would threaten to stab her with scissors, and Tori would wonder... 

Outside of school, Tori was alone. Jade was kept busy with the drama club, art, and other responsibilities. Plus, Tori didn’t think Jade would ever be down to hang out outside of their lunch period. André still lived nearby, but he was _ constantly _ writing and producing songs, and was even getting ready to go on tour, so he and Tori couldn’t talk much. Cat never responded to Tori’s messages, and when she did, it was random and incoherent. Beck and Robbie had moved away, and Robbie only came back to Hollywood to visit family or Cat, who he had been dating for a while. And of course, Tori would rather not hang out with Trina. 

“Do you ever wanna, I don’t know, grab dinner sometime?” Tori asked Jade one day, just out of curiosity. 

Jade hesitated. “With you?”

Tori laughed, “yeah, the two of us! Like old times! I don’t see you outside of school at  _ all. _ ”

Jade took a sip from the coffee she was drinking and looked at Tori. “I’m busy. Some of the drama club wants to get together with part of the choir to perform Evita, you know that musical? About the Argentine dictatorship and Eva Perón?”

“Oh yeah, I love Evita!”

“Yeah, well, I have to organize a lot of it,  _ and _ our big trip is this year, so they want to go to Buenos Aires and see Evita’s grave,” Jade complained, taking another long drink from her coffee. 

Tori put down her food and replied, “That’s awesome! Have fun!”

Jade scoffed. “I don’t do fun.” 

Tori chuckled to herself and stared at her food for a minute. Then, she decided to take a big risk. “Could I help you with the trip? I could chaperone with you, and help you plan everything! I have family from Argentina, you know!” 

Tori waited. Jade didn’t speak. She just kept drinking her coffee and staring at nothing. Tori started to regret asking, but then Jade looked up suddenly. 

“You know what, sure. If you don’t do it, Sikowitz will, and I’d rather have you than have to share coconut milk with him for a 13 hour flight,” Jade replied, after what seemed like an entire period. 

Tori’s heart raced excitedly. She grinned uncontrollably from ear to ear, and just as she was about to say something else, the bell rang. 

Jade stood. “I’ll talk to the administration and let you know, but as the music teacher you should be good,” she said stoically. 

Tori smiled again. “I can’t wait.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> figured i would actually start the plot now haha!   
> sorry this chapter is kinda short, but i think i might write another one real quick. i had a bit of a writer's block and didn't know how to get the plot moving. 
> 
> my school did evita as our musical a few years ago, and i hadn't listened to the music since, but lowkey? this is a pretty good musical to put with this ship. there's even a line in "perón's last flame" that refers to eva as "dangerous jade" which i literally laughed out loud at bc wow how fitting haha :)  
> eva's also an actress which fits both jade and tori so that's fun. idk i love this fic and i miss argentina :(((
> 
> end of my little rant. listen to evita when you can tho :)
> 
> -jenna


	5. Oh What a Circus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade gets home and is a gay mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Requiem For Evita / Oh What a Circus" is an Evita song, so I decided to make it this chapter's title bc Jade is being a cLOWN rn 
> 
> you're only young once. ask her out. cut your hair. write backyardigans smut. LIVE YOUR LIFE, HOE
> 
> anyway i think I'm gonna have to do a time skip but idk if it'll be the next chapter or later

Jade shut her apartment door behind her and slammed her back against it, slowly sliding to the ground. She’d been feeling great, but today was a significant setback.  _ How could she have been so stupid? _

Feelings were so insufferable. Jade would be perfectly content with never feeling anything, especially love. No, not love.  _ Attraction _ . She had a major problem with attraction. 

Tori Vega would walk into Jade’s classroom for lunch and Jade’s heart would race. Jade wouldn’t get any work done because she couldn’t ignore Tori.  _ She was supposed to HATE Tori! _ But now they were going to Argentina together in the summer. Jade had run to the principal’s office and put in the request just seconds after Tori left, and the principal had approved it just before the end of the day. 

So that was it. Jade would spend two 13 hour flights with Tori Vega. Share a hotel room with her in a foreign country. Be responsible for a group of high school students together. And they hadn’t even been on a real date!

Did Jade really want a date? What  _ did  _ she want? She’d only been in one relationship before, and it hadn’t been real, at least not for her. She couldn’t date Tori. Dating Tori would make Jade extremely vulnerable. Dating Tori would bring Jade’s worst fears to life.

But… dating Tori felt inevitable. Jade had wondered what it would be like to be with Tori in high school, just out of boredom, and here she was, back in Jade’s life. Was that supposed to be a sign? 

Dating Tori would be completely out of Jade’s comfort zone. But she’d be lying if she said that wasn’t what she wanted. Tori had a way of melting Jade. She couldn’t walk in a room without immediately wrecking Jade, forcing her to devote her complete and undivided attention to Tori, only Tori. She wasn’t even trying, and yet Jade was hopeless. No amount of edginess and self-isolation could stop Jade from falling now. So shouldn’t she just give in?

Jade stood up and started to wipe her makeup away. She was faking everything. Faking her strength. Faking her indifference. Faking her hatred, her boredom, her dissatisfaction. She’d been hiding herself for years, determined not to show any weakness. Dating was just another way to fake it, manipulate the world into thinking Jade was cold. 

The only person who didn’t buy Jade’s fakes was Tori. She always saw through Jade’s death glares. She laughed at Jade’s ceiling scissors. She marveled at the mess of art in Jade’s room, which was supposed to be overwhelming and suffocating. Tori was different. Tori was real, the only real thing in Jade’s make-believe life. 

But she couldn’t reveal her feelings to Tori. Of course not.

Not yet. But maybe not ever. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorrrrryyyy for another short chapter i PROMISE the next few will be longer. I just needed to get the plot up and running and sidelined for a minute to talk about jAdE's FeElIngSsSSs bc I'm a sucker for some emo moments
> 
> real talk tho i think Jade's a really complex + interesting character and i really wanna explore some of her background and why she acts the way she does. i think it makes jori a lot more believable bc it gives some explanation for why jade is so aggressive toward tori but still CANONICALLY goes to tori for help with serious issues and trusts tori in a way that she doesn't trust any other character (except maybe beck). so yeah that's why i'll probably take a break from the plot to have an emo jade moment every once in a while. probably not as frequently as i have been tho bc i still want the plot to play out well. 
> 
> see you soon lovelies, xoxo  
> jenna


	6. The Art, The Graveyard, and the Scissors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tori visits the drama club meeting and helps Jade plan the trip. After the meeting, she and Jade go to Nozu for dinner together.

The drama club met in the theater after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the choir met on Mondays and Wednesdays, and anyone could sign up to use the theater on Fridays. Jade decided to hold a combined meeting on Monday with the students from the drama club and choir who wanted to perform Evita, and then used her Tuesday drama club meeting to discuss the drama club trip with all of the members. Since Tori had been approved as a chaperone, she was invited to the Tuesday drama club meeting. 

After her last class ended and the final bell rang, Tori grabbed her purse and headed for the theater. This was the first time she’d stayed at school after the day had ended, but she’d stayed after as a student before and didn’t think much of it. Besides, she would get to see Jade. 

Tori carefully opened the door and slipped in. Immediately, she regretted not visiting the theater sooner. The smell hit her with a wave of nostalgia, and she literally almost cried. Hollywood Arts felt like home, but the theater felt like her bedroom. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it until she was there. 

Jade was sitting on the edge of the stage, and students had started to gather in the first few rows of seats. The students were talking and laughing in groups of friends, but Jade was sitting quietly and typing something on her computer. She looked up suddenly and spotted Tori, but didn’t say anything. Tori walked up to her and sat next to her on the stage. 

“Hey,” Jade said without looking up from her computer, “we’re just about to start.” She wasn’t kidding; she looked away from her computer and all of the students quieted down. Tori was slightly impressed by how well they behaved, but of course,  _ Jade _ was in charge. 

Jade brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Alright, so, some of you were here yesterday for the  _ Evita _ meeting, blah blah blah, whatever, who wants to go to Argentina? Raise your hand.”

The whole club raised their hands and laughed. Jade smiled slightly and continued, “Ok, so we can get that approved by the school pretty easily because it ties into our project, but our main goal has to be to go to Buenos Aires and see Eva Perón’s grave. We can still do other things, but that  _ has _ to be one of them.”

At this point, some of the students were looking at Tori questioningly, and Jade noticed. “Do you know Tor–uh, Ms. Vega, the music teacher?” Jade asked apathetically. Some of the students still looked confused, which made Jade roll her eyes irritably. “Whatever, she’s chaperoning the trip with me.”

“Anyway, I looked up stuff about Buenos Aires and I’ve already planned the whole trip. We’re going to the art museum, the graveyard, and a gift shop so I can buy Argentine scissors. Any questions?” Jade didn’t wait for questions before immediately continuing, “Great. We’re done.”

Some students started to stand up, but Tori jumped up first. “Wait, Jade, there’s so much more to Buenos Aires! What about the Casa Rosada, that’s part of  _ Evita _ , we have to see that!” Tori argued. 

Jade rolled her eyes again. “Fine, we can see the Casa Rosada.”

“And if we’re going gift shopping, it should be in “La Boca.” It’s really artsy, you’ll like it.”

Jade sighed. “Ok,  _ great! _ Is there  _ anything _ else?”

Tori smirked. “Well, what about...tango?”

This caused an uproar among the students. Some were excited, but others looked terrified. 

Jade turned to glare at Tori. “Absolutely not. Never in a million years. I don’t do tango.”

Tori ignored her and turned to the students. “Would you guys want to take a tango lesson? My cousin knows a cool place!” 

The students looked at each other, but eventually agreed to take the lesson, which led to Jade glaring at each student personally.

“You don’t have to do it, I just thought they might want to,” Tori told Jade quietly, interrupting the death-stares.

Jade glared briefly at Tori, then turned to her computer. “Fine, we’ll take a tango lesson. Anything else?”

Tori smiled again. “My cousin’s friend owns a farm about an hour from the city. They do horseback rides and it’s run by Argentine cowboys. Plus the ice cream is really good, apparently.”

Jade tried to argue that she hated ice cream, but the kids were already convinced, so she reluctantly added “random strange farm” to her agenda on her computer. 

Tori smiled. She was victorious, and now the trip would be  _ much _ more fun. Jade dismissed all the students, and the two teachers were left alone. 

“Sorry to undermine your authority back there, but my cousin said we couldn’t pass up the farm,” Tori said. 

Jade closed her computer suddenly and looked up at Tori. “Get dinner with me.”

Tori was surprised. “Um, ok!”

They left together, and made plans to meet at Nozu. Just like old times.

* * *

Nozu looked better than Tori remembered. The furniture had been recently replaced, and everything seemed much cleaner. The people who were eating seemed generally happier, and there were more customers than Tori had ever seen there before. 

As if reading her mind, Jade said, “Mrs. Lee’s daughter got married and she and her husband took over the restaurant a few years ago. She’s not a great owner and she’s basically the new Mrs. Lee, but he really upgraded the place. It’s doing great now.”

Tori laughed. “The same daughter that was in your play?  _ Yikes. _ ”

Jade smiled. “Yeah,” she said, looking down at the floor, “remember when we hung her from the ceiling but never––”

“––gave her the cue! She was just stuck up there for the whole show!” Tori cackled. 

Jade smiled over-eagerly and waved at Tori. “I’m readyyyyy!!” she said mockingly.

Tori giggled. “Aw, was my little girl wonderful?” she said, imitating Mrs. Lee. And, for the first time Tori could remember, Jade laughed, and not sarcastically, at Tori. Her heart fluttered. 

_ That _ was new. 

“Can I help you girls?” the hostess asked as the two girls reached her stand. 

Jade stopped laughing and turned to the hostess. “Table for two.”

“Right this way!” The hostess led them to a booth in the back of the restaurant. Tori sat first, facing the back wall. Jade took a minute to take off her jacket as the hostess gave them menus and left. 

“What if she heard us mimicking Mrs. Lee and knew?” Tori whispered playfully. 

“Oh come on, your impression wasn’t  _ that _ good.”

“Hey! Don’t act like it wasn’t perfect.”

Jade shrugged. “I was better.” 

“Lies,” Tori smirked, “but anyways, when are you gonna pitch the trip to the school board?”

Jade grabbed her menu. “I already pitched the general idea, but I need to make a schedule and present it within the next month. Then we should be good to go.”

Tori nodded. “Cool,” she replied, grabbing her own menu and flipping through the pages. “What’s good here now?” she asked Jade.

Jade shrugged again. “Same as always. Except not the squid stuff. Their squid’s weird now.” 

They decided what to eat, ordered, and once they handed over their menus, Tori decided to spice up the conversation. 

“So whatever happened between you and Beck?”

Jade looked at Tori in disbelief. “You really just asked me that?”

Tori shrugged. “You were kind of nice to me today, so I decided to just go for it. You don’t have to answer.”

Jade didn’t look away. She stared into Tori’s eyes until Tori started to feel uncomfortable, and then she spoke. “You know what? Why not? Anything you want to ask, ask it now. Go for it.” 

Tori was suspicious. “Alright then, what happened? I mean, you were inseparable all of high school. Some of us even thought…” Tori trailed off, realizing that it might be too far.

“Everyone thought we’d get married. Tori, I already told you, I hate awkwardness, so just spit it out.” Jade said, surprisingly calm. “Honestly? Sometimes I did too. But after high school, he just wasn’t  _ it _ for me anymore.”

“So you dumped him?” Tori was stunned.

Jade just shrugged. “Yep. Told him we were done and not to try to get back together. He didn’t listen, so I didn’t respond. About a month later, no more Beck.” 

Tori looked down at the table. “Yikes.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Tori saw Jade staring intensely at her again. “So, what do you think?” Jade prompted.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Tori muttered, “it just seems a little…”

“What? A little  _ what? _ ”

“A little harsh! I mean, he was in  _ love  _ with you! And you– I mean, you...you came crying to  _ me _ when  _ he _ broke up with  _ you! _ And then, as soon as you graduate, just done?” Tori rambled. 

Jade laughed, a little coldly. “You don’t understand. And that’s one thing I won’t explain to you.” She fiddled with a napkin. “Ok, my turn.”

“What?” Tori asked, confused.  
“We’re in our favorite teenage restaurant, so let’s act like teenagers,” Jade said, pushing the napkin away from her. “Truth or Dare?”

Tori was silent for a moment. “...truth?” she asked hesitantly.

Jade smirked slightly. “Where’s  _ your _ boyfriend, Tori?”

Tori’s eyes widened. No one had ever been that direct about it. Sure, she’d had crushes, and small things with guys, but she hadn’t had a real serious  _ boyfriend _ in years, and Jade knew it. But why was she asking about it? Tori really shouldn’t have brought up Beck…

“I...um...don’t have one, not right now…” Tori stammered. 

Jade looked back down at her plate and started fiddling with her napkin again. “Your turn,” she said quietly.

Tori was slightly confused by the sudden change in Jade’s mood, but ignored it anyway. “Truth or Dare?” she asked.

“Fuck it, dare,” Jade replied, “thrill me.”

Tori thought for a moment. “Ok...when our food comes, eat half of it, and then ask to speak to the manager!”

Jade rolled her eyes. “Really Tori? Come on,  _ really  _ challenge me.”

“That was a challenge! You’d have to speak to an angry Lee!”

“You don’t know a challenge when you see one. If  _ I’d _ been daring  _ you… _ ”

Tori crossed her arms. “Alright, go ahead! What’s your  _ big _ dare?”

Jade looked around the room. “You have to ask that balding man if you can take a picture of his head. Then, lick it right after you take the photo. Like you just  _ couldn’t _ help yourself…” she said in a low, sultry voice.

Jade burst out laughing at the sight of Tori’s horrified face. “You’re  _ sick,  _ Jade,” Tori replied, trying not to laugh.

Tori turned to look at Jade, who was still cackling. She’d never seen Jade this carefree, happy, friendly, and  _ fun _ . Never, in all her days at Hollywood Arts, had Tori  _ ever _ seen Jade laugh this hard, but here she was. 

And she was kind of cute. 

Tori’s heart stopped. No she did NOT just think Jade West was cute. Absolutely not. She was just hungry. And tired. And surprised, because Jade was laughing and Jade never laughed. 

Their food arrived just at that moment, and Tori forgot all about Jade being cute. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tori in this chapter b like: ohhh nooo,, i think i'm catching feelings....
> 
> also it was SO HARD for me not to have one of them dare the other to kiss them, but I'm trying to build up to that so ughhhhhh
> 
> i go back to school tomorrow (oof) so my updating schedule is def gonna change. I'm gonna try to make the next chapter long as well tho. 
> 
> but i lOsT mY GlAsSeS so i have to use my BaCkuPs when I'm writing fanfic late at night so that SUCKS.   
> anyways, love y'all  
> jenna


	7. André's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> André comes back from his U.S. tour, and Tori goes to Nozu with him to catch up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lowkey sick today so sorry if this chapter sounds weird/doesn't make sense. i tried my best™.

It was a cool April morning, and Tori had just left school. Now a semester and a half into teaching at Hollywood Arts, Tori felt more at home than ever before. She was close with several of her colleagues, but she ate lunch alone with Jade everyday anyways. She’d visited her parents for most of spring break, but had gone out to dinner with Jade on their last night of break. 

André had finally finished his U.S. tour, and was home for a week before his Europe tour started, so he had texted Tori and now she was on her way to meet him at Nozu. She and André had texted, and she’d watched every tour video she could find, but they hadn’t met in person in years. 

She spotted him at a table in the middle of the restaurant and ran toward him. André stood and grinned, and they hugged tightly.

“What’s up, Tori?” he laughed as they sat down.

Tori couldn’t stop smiling. “I can’t believe it’s  _ you!  _ You’re famous now!”

André laughed again. “And exhausted. My agent used  _ all _ the time between shows for traveling and rehearsal. I slept like 4 hours total!”

“But it was fun?”

André sighed. “The best couple months of my life. But I did miss Hollywood.” He took a sip of water. “But anyways, how are you? Heard Jade’s a teacher now too.”

“Yeah, we eat lunch together. She’s an art teacher, and she helps Sikowitz with the drama club,” Tori explained. “Oh, and we’re going to Argentina this summer!”

“No kidding?”

“Yep! Some of the drama kids and some of the choir kids want to perform  _ Evita _ , so Jade decided that the big drama club trip should be to Argentina. I’m gonna help her chaperone!” Tori said happily. 

“You and Jade on a plane with a bunch of random high schoolers for 13 hours?” André raised one of his eyebrows jokingly, “And you’re excited about that?”

Tori chuckled, “Okay, so  _ that _ part might not be amazing, but the rest will be! And anyways, Jade’s…”

Tori trailed off and stared off into the void, thinking. André waited patiently, sipping his water. 

“Jade’s...different now, I guess. I don’t know. Somehow, I think we can get through a night on a plane together without her stabbing me.” Tori finished. 

André nodded. “Yeah. I just wondered...because, you know, she and Beck…”

“Oh yeah, we’ve talked about that. I still don’t completely understand why she did it, but I trust her. I trust that she made the right decision,” Tori countered.

André’s eyebrows furrowed. He set down his water and raised his hands in confusion. “Wait, she broke up with Beck? Beck told me it was  _ his  _ decision.”

Tori shook her head. “No, she definitely broke up with him. I don’t know why Beck would say that, but it was definitely Jade’s choice,” she said.

André shrugged. “I guess you’ve talked to Jade more than I’ve talked to Beck. Weird of him to act like that though…”

“Jade made it seem like it was really sudden, so maybe he was just in shock?”

“Yeah, maybe...anyways, how’s Sikowitz?”

Tori laughed. “He told me on my first day that he was glad I didn’t apply for his position, because then he would’ve killed me, so you know, he’s Sikowitz.”

André cackled. “I couldn’t believe he was still teaching, but I guess now it makes sense.”

“He got suspended about a month ago for having his class spend the night on the stage. No food, no water, just laying on the stage. He claimed it was ‘a valuable learning opportunity that is vital to acting success,’” Tori said, stifling her own laughing.

“Of course he did,” André replied. “Man, I miss Sikowitz.”

“Oh, and this girl was trying to do the bird scene, so she decided to lead a whole flock of pigeons into his classroom. And Sikowitz just kept them! Left them roaming his room for a whole week before the principal forced him to remove them.” Tori laughed. “She still hasn’t passed the bird scene because she’s too afraid to try again!”

“How is this man still hired?” André guffawed. “Can I take him on tour to be my opening act?”

“Oh, bet. He’d do it, and your audience would love it,” Tori responded.

“Damn, I’ll have to ask my agent. I bet we’d sell out every show.”

“Or make everyone run away screaming, because, you know, Sikowitz.” 

“Yeah, he’s not for everyone,” André chuckled. “Kind of like Jade, to be honest. I still can’t believe you two are friends now.”

“Aww, I wouldn’t go that far,” Tori shrugged. “She just...tolerates me more now.”

André nodded. The waiter interrupted them briefly, and they put in their orders.

“So,” Tori started, “any  _ girls _ on tour with you?”

“Man, just wait a second,” André grinned, pulling out his PearPhone. He tapped it a few times, then flipped it to show Tori.

The picture on the PearPhone was of André and a girl in front of a decorated Christmas tree, in what looked like New York City. It was snowing, and André was grinning from ear to ear. The girl was just an inch shorter than he, and her hair, speckled with snow, flowed past her shoulder. She had the prettiest smile, and her eyes sparkled. She had on one of the hoodies from André’s merch store, and her earrings were treble clefs.

“Her name’s María. We met at a bar in Hollywood back before my tour. She lives in San Francisco, but she was on vacation visiting her brother when we met. She went with me on the first half of the American tour, and she’s supposed to come with me to Europe. She wants me to do a South American tour next so her grandparents can see me, in Mexico,” André said. Tori noticed that he never stopped grinning while talking about María. 

“Is she a singer?” Tori asked, pointing at María’s earrings.

“The  _ best _ . She actually helped me write a couple of my songs. She’s a genius with music,” André gushed. 

Tori smiled. “Perfect for you! André, she seems amazing, honestly.”

André smiled sweetly at the picture on his phone. “I think I might love her. I think I might marry her, honestly.”

Tori laughed and handed the phone back to him. “I’m happy for you! But you  _ better _ invite me and Jade when it happens.”

“Of course,” André replied, “We’ll all be back together again, and Sikowitz can get ordained and be the pastor.”

“Ohhhh, I’d  _ pay _ to see that!” Tori howled. 

André laughed. “Rex can be the ring bearer.”

“And you  _ know _ Cat’ll wanna be the flower girl!”

“Little Red…” André chuckled. “How’s she doing?”

“I’m not sure, to be honest. I haven’t seen her in a few months. She seems good, though,” Tori said. “Hollywood Arts makes me miss everyone being together.”

André nodded. “Try playing music around the country. Everytime I play the song I wrote about Hollywood, I miss everyone.”

Tori sipped her water and nodded. “Get married to María soon so we can all see each other.”

André laughed. “Sure. When do you get back from Argentina? She mentioned wanting a summer wedding.”

* * *

Tori got home later than she was used to. She kicked off her shoes and headed for the shower. 

André’s girlfriend was perfect. Cat and Robbie were perfect. Beck probably had a perfect girlfriend, too. 

Where was Tori’s perfect boy? Would she  _ ever _ have a perfect boyfriend? She’d talked to a few boys on Tinder in the past couple of months, but nothing had worked out. She had a hard time believing anything would  _ ever _ work out, at this rate.

She was happy for André, of course. But she couldn’t help feeling sad.

Just as Tori was stepping into the shower, she heard her phone get a notification. She stepped back out and headed back to her bedroom to read it.

**Stay after school tomorrow to help with the Argentina paperwork.** Jade’s text demanded. 

Tori rolled her eyes and chuckled. **please?** she teased.

**No.**

**ok…:(** Tori wrote back.

Tori dropped her phone back on her bed and started to go back to the shower when she heard it beep again. She walked back and picked it up. 

**We can get food afterwards if you want.**

Tori smiled.  **sure!**

Maybe it sucked that Tori was alone. Maybe it sucked that she didn’t have a María. And maybe she knew she should be devastated, but somehow, she still felt satisfied. Someday, her perfect boy would come, if she was patient and deserved him.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> andré being an icon + gushing about his girl made my heart uwu, ngl
> 
> tomorrow i actually go back to school bc i won't be sick again so thats funnnn
> 
> see y'all soon   
> jenna


	8. Lesbian Request Denied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori head to the airport to go to Buenos Aires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i used an OITNB title. and what about it?  
> you'll see why i used it

An alarm sounded, and Tori groaned. She rolled over and tapped the snooze button on her phone. Realizing what day it was, Tori bolted out of bed.

At long last, it was June, and tonight, the drama club was flying to Argentina. Tori had already packed everything, but she was planning on surprising Jade (who had confessed over text that she was saving all her packing for the last minute) and had to double-check everything before she left. 

Tori quickly showered and changed into a shirt and jeans, grabbing a jacket to wear onto the plane. Since Argentina’s seasons were opposite of California’s, they would be heading into the beginning of winter, and Tori’s cousin had warned her that Buenos Aires had been pretty cold for the past couple of weeks. 

Tori grabbed a bowl, started her coffee, and poured the last of her cereal into the bowl. She scrolled on TheSlap for a few minutes while she ate, then brushed her hair and grabbed her coffee. Her suitcase was already in her car, and she’d already triple-checked everything last night. 

Tori locked her apartment behind her and rushed down the stairs. Coffee in one hand and PearPhone in the other, she could barely contain her excitement.

* * *

In the distance, Jade heard a sound. Someone was stomping on her classroom floor. She looked away from her art to cuss them out and felt herself falling…

Light. Cold air. Someone yelling and stomping.

Jade rubbed her eyes and reoriented herself. The stomping was actually someone knocking on her door, so she quickly grabbed her jacket to cover her oversized Black Veil Brides T-shirt and threw the door open. 

“WHO the HELL…” Jade began, and then stopped as she realized who was at the door. “Tori, what the _fuck_ are you doing here?”

Tori walked into the apartment without waiting for an invitation. “Relax! It’s 10 am, you have to start packing so we can get lunch and leave for the airport by 2 and catch our flight!”

“Ok, but _why_ are you _here_? I can pack by myself. And how did you even find out which apartment is mine?” Jade demanded, waving her hand violently. 

“André told me. And I didn’t think I could trust you to pack everything by yourself and still leave on time, no offense.”

Jade huffed. “Just because you say no offense doesn’t mean you didn’t just offend me.”

“ _Sorry,_ but there’s no time! Now come on, I’ll help you pick your clothes!” Tori replied perkily, throwing Jade’s closet open. 

Jade pushed her aside. “I’ll pack clothes, you take every single T-shirt out of that bottom drawer and throw them in that suitcase.” 

Tori smiled at Jade for a moment, then obliged. 

Together, they managed to pack everything in an hour. Jade had plenty of warm clothes, but she only had one medium suitcase and it was a _major_ struggle to fit everything into it. Tori insisted that Jade drop a few shoes, but the suitcase still wouldn’t close.

“Well, what the hell do we do now?” Jade spat, panting from wrestling the suitcase. 

“You _really_ don’t have a bigger one?”

“Oh, sure Tori, this was all just for fun! I’ll go grab the big one now!”

“Ok, ok, that was stupid,” Tori muttered. “Look, why don’t you...put some of your jackets in _my_ suitcase? Then I can give them to you when we check into the hotel.”

Jade stared at Tori. Part of her wanted to argue, but there was no time, and she couldn’t think of another solution. “Fine. You drag the suitcase and I’ll carry the jackets.”

* * *

“You drive, it’s your car,” Jade declared, falling into the passenger seat and leaning back. 

“Sure,” Tori replied. She started up the engine, and immediately, rock music blared out of the car radio. Tori rushed to turn it down, but Jade’s hand was already clasped around the dial.

_Jade’s hand is really soft_ , Tori thought for a second, before pulling it off the volume dial and cranking the music down. 

“Jade, you can have the aux **IF** ,” Tori raised her finger threateningly as Jade started to reach for the volume dial again, “you behave. Don’t turn the volume above 50.” 

Jade started to protest, but then agreed. Tori turned the music back up slightly and began to drive. 

Tori had never really listened to music with Jade. Sure, they’d sung together, and occasionally she’d mention a band or play a song for Tori to listen to, but she’d never heard Jade’s uninterrupted playlist (well, uninterrupted except for when Jade would skip 20 songs in a row and yell “SHIT! GARBAGE! DISGUSTING!”).

As a musician, Tori loved music passionately, and had a certain regard for someone else’s music taste. Music taste was so representative of a person. Someone’s favorite song could say _so_ much about them, and therefore Tori _loved_ hearing her friends’ favorite songs. 

But when Jade played “Not The American Average” by Asking Alexandria, “Green Light” by Lorde, “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra, “Primadonna” by Marina and the Diamonds, “Toxic” by Britney Spears, and “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee, Tori was confused. 

Asking Alexandria made sense; Jade was edgy and liked to scare people. Lorde was classic sad music, and Tori _loved_ her. Frank Sinatra was interesting, because although Tori didn’t expect it, somehow it made sense for Jade. The same was true for Marina, although Tori expected it a little more after Lorde. Britney was a classic throwback, and Gasolina was a killer party track. 

But Jade’s music didn’t reveal many secrets until they were about halfway to the airport. 

They’d just finished listening to “Tongue Tied” by Grouplove (another classic throwback) when the clear, strong voice of a female singer Tori had never heard before rang out. 

“ _I hate it when dudes try to chase me.”_

Jade had been silently staring out the window for a minute and didn’t react at first.

“ _But I love it when you try to save me”_

Jade turned her head slightly towards the radio. Now Tori was listening, because there was just _something_ about this girl’s voice that she loved.

“ _Cause I’m just a lady._ ”

“No, turn this off,” Jade said suddenly, scrambling to grab her phone and skip the song.

“Wait, I like it!” Tori argued.

Jade hesitated. The car was silent for a minute except for the instrumental. 

“ _I love it when we play 1950._ ” 

“No, we really can’t listen to this,” Jade stated, finally finding her phone and skipping the song. 

Tori was intrigued. “Why? What’s so bad about that song?”

Jade was silent and turned back to the window. “Nothing, I just don’t like it.” 

An old Melanie Martinez song was playing in the background now. Tori wanted so badly to look at Jade and try to figure out what she was hiding, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the road. Jade kept staring out the window while Melanie sang into the silence. 

“Can you at least tell me what song it was?” Tori asked innocently.

Jade sighed quietly. “No. Just forget about it. It’s nothing.”

“Jade, it’s just a _song,_ what’s the big dea––”

“ _Tori,_ forget about it."

"But it's––"

"I _said_ , FORGET ABOUT IT. Just listen to Melanie and move on!” Jade yelled. 

They sat in silence again. The song ended and an old Panic! at the Disco song followed it. 

Tori knew she shouldn’t, that it might invade Jade’s privacy, that it might end up hurting both of them, but she had already decided.

She would find that song, somehow. She only remembered a few words, but she _had_ to find it. 

* * *

They arrived at the airport about 15 minutes before the group was supposed to meet. Together, Tori and Jade checked their luggage and printed their boarding passes. They decided to grab coffee from a shop before heading back to the meeting space. 

By this time, almost the entire group had arrived. Tori and Jade sent them to check in and check their luggage, and by 4 they were all ready to get through security. 

Security went smoothly, and the group came back together at the edge of the gates.

“The flight boards at 6:30,” Jade reminded the students, “You can go wherever the hell you want, but if you’re not at the gate by 6:15 you’re getting left in America.”

The group smiled back at her, and some students were already pointing out places to eat to their friends.

“Bye,” Jade said plainly.

“Have fun!” Tori piped up.

* * *

Tori and Jade decided to go to In-N-Out.

“I’m so excited!!” Tori cried while they ate their hamburgers. “I’ve _always_ wanted to go to Argentina!” 

“ _Yeah,_ me _too_ ,” Jade said sarcastically, picking at her fries. 

Tori had known Jade long enough to see through her indifference. She smiled mischievously and tilted her head. “ _Come on,_ you know you’re excited too!” Tori teased.

Jade dropped the fry she’d been spinning with her fingers and looked up at Tori. “Yeah. Of course I am. But I don’t have to be,” Jade grinned exaggeratedly and threw up jazz hands, “ _so_ _excited!!!_ ”

There it was. Jade’s famous _Tori Vega_ voice. Tori rolled her eyes. 

“I can’t believe we lucked out and got seats together!” Tori enthused, “Did you download anything to watch?”

“Orange is the New Black. But I wasn’t planning on sharing…”

“Yes! Come _on,_ Jade! You’re always talking about that show, and I’ve never seen it! Here, I’ll download the first couple episodes. Which ones did you already get?”

Jade stared at Tori for a minute. “The second half of season two.” 

“Ok cool! I’ll get some from season one and the first half of two. Which ones are good?” Tori babbled, pulling out her PearPhone. 

Jade finally gave in and leaned across the table to see Tori’s screen. “The pilot, obviously...Lesbian Request Denied...Imaginary Enemies because Miss Claudette...The Chickening, of course...Moscow Mule and Fucksgiving, because we’re watching season 2 and also Vauseman...Tall Men with Feelings…”

“Jade, you’re naming every episode.”

“Not true! I skipped Tit Punch, WAC Pack, Blood Donut, _and_ Bora Bora Bora.”

“Congratulations! You skipped 4 episodes! Now we only have...NINE hours of season 1 to watch!” 

Jade leaned back in her seat. “Fine. Then let’s just stick to season 1 and watch season 2 on the way back to California.”

Tori stared at Jade. “You _really_ want to watch 9 hours of Orange is the New Black?”

“No, I wanna watch _thirteen_ hours of Orange, but _you_ haven’t watched the first episode and don’t realize how easily you’ll get sucked in,” Jade said, turning back to her fries. “Just you wait, Vega.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you don't know "the song" you're either  
> 1\. straight  
> 2\. a gay man  
> 3\. not being lesbian properly  
> and i won't help you, but you can search the lyrics on google if you want. (all jokes btw, you're valid even if you don't know/love King Princess)
> 
> in other news school is mckicking my ass so idk if I'm ever gonna be able to post during the week again. I'm definitely gonna try to write more over the weekend tho, and the weekend is probably gonna become my update time. 
> 
> i love the support on this fic you guys make me :,,,))) so much dude. i love + appreciate y'all so much :)
> 
> i have an outline on my docs backup for how i want the next few chapters to go, and the next one is supposed to be all the flight stuff (fluff incoming next chapter or the one after that).
> 
> i honestly love this fic so much. ao3 is blocked on my school chromebook but i think about it in class anyway oops X)
> 
> hope to update this weekend, xoxo  
> jenna :)


	9. The Flight (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade + Tori sit together for the flight to Buenos Aires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lowkey there are a couple Orange is the New Black references in this chapter. if you haven't watched OITNB, you might be a LITTLE confused, but you'll still be able to understand. :)  
> highly recommend watching OITNB tho bc it's a killer show. you should at least watch the first season, but honestly i love all of it so much :)

Tori and Jade were behind their group of students in the line leading onto the plane. They’d finished their food, packed up, and counted everyone before boarding. Now it was 7pm, and they were supposed to land in Buenos Aires at around 8am the next morning. 

When they reached their seats, Tori took the window seat and immediately pushed her backpack under the seat in front of her. She leaned back against her seat and sighed. 

Jade sat next to Tori, grabbing headphones out of her own backpack before pushing it under the seat. She unraveled the headphones, and then plugged them into her phone and opened it. 

“Are you  _ seriously _ watching Orange already?” Tori asked exasperatedly, as Jade opened her Netflix app. 

Jade scoffed. “No. I’m just checking that they’re all there,” she said as she left Netflix and shuffled her playlist. 

Tori stared for a moment, then tapped Jade’s shoulder. She pointed to Jade’s earbud, then herself, then smiled. 

Jade shook her head, so Tori turned to stare out the window. It was completely dark now, except for the lights around the runway. Tori saw a cart full of luggage approaching their plane and curiously watched to see if she could spot her suitcase. 

A flight attendant came over the speaker, reading her announcements in Spanish. Tori sighed and kept watching the luggage cart. She thought for a moment about the bag of Skittles in her backpack, but decided to save them for later. 

As the flight attendant started to repeat the announcements in English, Tori felt a tap on her shoulder. Jade was offering an earbud. 

Tori grinned and accepted. 

Jade was playing “Video Games” by Lana Del Rey. Tori glanced over at her, but she was leaning her head against the seat and staring at the ceiling. Since the headphones tied them together, Tori could only look at the seat in front of her. Together, they listened to Lana’s melancholy notes as they stared in different directions and ignored the flight attendant. 

For some reason, Tori felt overwhelmingly comfortable. Quiet moments with Jade always felt so calm. 

They listened quietly to the music until the flight attendant announced that the plane would be taking off in five minutes. Tori felt Jade’s body tense. 

“Are you okay?” she asked nervously.

Jade closed her eyes and breathed heavily. Tori saw her clench her fists.

“...Jade?”

Jade suddenly exhaled aggressively and her eyes popped open. “I HATE airplanes, ok?” 

Tori stifled a laugh, but immediately regretted it. Jade was giving Tori one of the strongest glares she’d ever received. “Sorry,” she said, still struggling not to giggle, “I didn’t know.”

Jade ripped the earbud out of Tori’s ear and turned away. 

“Hey, Jade! Look, do you want something? Do you want food? Do you want to hold my hand? I just don’t know how to make it better, that’s all!”

“No, it’s stupid, and I’ll be fine,” Jade spat. Clearly, she was terrified and refused to admit it. 

“Are you sure? I’ll get you whatever you need,” Tori said sweetly, but Jade didn’t respond. 

As Tori started to look out the window, the plane began accelerating, and she suddenly felt Jade’s cold hand grip her own. 

Tori’s right hand was trapped, so she held her free hand over Jade’s and squeezed. Soon enough, she lost feeling in her bottom hand, but the plane was still ascending rapidly and Jade wouldn’t let go. Tori glanced over and noticed that Jade had scrunched her eyes shut and looked like she was actually in physical pain. Jade hated almost everything, but Tori had never seen her genuinely scared by anything.

Eventually, the plane stopped ascending, and Jade opened her eyes. She yanked her hand away from Tori and brushed the hair out of her face.

“Wanna watch Orange?” Tori asked, shaking her hand to regain feeling.

Jade nodded silently, and Tori pulled out her phone and started Episode 1.

“Ok, but I  _ love _ Red so much,” Tori laughed, grabbing her phone to start the next episode. 

“Honestly. One of my favorite characters,” Jade added. “Who else do you like?”

Tori shrugged. “Piper’s not  _ terrible _ , but not great either. Nicky seems cool.”

“Oh, Nicky’s my absolute  _ favorite _ ,” Jade interrupted, “Just wait, she’s amazing. And I like Alex and Red too, but  _ Nicky _ .” 

“Yeah, she seems good,” Tori replied. “Should we start the next episode?”

“Uhh...maybe wait a second. It looks like they’re bringing the food down.”

Sure enough, the flight attendant arrived with dinner just moments later. Tori and Jade thanked her and pulled the plastic off their meals.

Jade audibly gagged. Tori just frowned.

“This is disgusting,” Jade scoffed, “I can’t eat this. I’ll have the orange sherbert and nothing else.” 

Tori started up the next episode and buttered up the roll that had come with dinner. Since they’d eaten In-N-Out before the flight, she wasn’t very hungry, but the roll would be a decent snack.

The next episode had started, so Tori set down her knife and bit into her roll. Not bad, but not great either. 

* * *

“The chicken is the most under-appreciated character in the whole show,” Jade declared as the credits rolled. It was now midnight, and they’d just finished the 5th episode of OITNB. 

“Yeah,” Tori yawned, “and you were right, I love Nicky more than life.”

“Ok, but Boo though.”

“Boo is good too, but Red and Nicky are still the best.”  
“Fair,” Jade said, pulling a travel blanket out of her backpack. 

Tori yawned again. “What time is it?”

“Midnight.”

“Oh shit, we should go to sleep,” Tori said. “We have to do a bunch of stuff tomorrow and it’ll be 8 when we land, so we won’t have time to sleep.”

“Just one more episode! We have to skip to Moscow Mule so you can see one of the biggest relationships in the show,” Jade insisted. 

Tori yawned a third time. “Ok, fine.”

**Jade’s POV**

“Moscow Mule” was one of Jade’s favorite episodes of OITNB, honestly. She loved the dynamics of Alex and Piper’s relationship, and the scene where Alex gets stuck in the dryer was just so important.

She was so invested in the scene that she didn’t notice Tori struggling to stay awake. Tori was wrapped up in the blanket that the airplane had provided, and her head kept drooping slightly. Jade was still wide awake. 

As Jade listened to Piper and Alex fight about the dryer, she felt Tori lean her head onto Jade’s shoulder and start to sleep.

Jade’s heart stopped. 

She stopped listening to the show and started panicking. 

Jade hated being touched. She’d always been careful not to let Beck touch her excessively. In fact, she’d told him he wasn’t allowed to touch her in public for more than 30 minutes per day. She’d never let any of her friends touch her at all, but Tori didn’t listen as much as the others. 

This was  _ so _ much different. Now Jade was feeling things, and not just the usual disgust that came with being touched. She didn’t have a violent urge to throw Tori off and push her away. In fact, she kind of wanted her to stay. 

Jade watched the rest of the episode, then turned it off. She pushed the tray back up against the seat in front of her and carefully slipped Tori’s phone into Jade’s backpack. Jade tried desperately not to move the shoulder that Tori was sleeping on. 

Finally, she leaned her head against the seat, closed her eyes, and started thinking. 

Jade was gay. So of course, having a girl fall asleep on her shoulder would drive her crazy. But did it still make sense if the girl was Tori Vega? Jade didn’t  _ like _ Tori. She barely even wanted to see her as a friend, and still...she didn’t want to push her away. Jade had a feeling she’d  _ hate _ to give Tori a 30-minutes-a-day touch limit, which was completely insane. 

Jade leaned her cheek into the top of Tori’s head. 

Whatever. She knew she shouldn’t acknowledge that maybe,  _ maybe _ , she was falling for Tori. Sure, she’d never had a girlfriend, but Tori was straight. Jade  _ refused  _ to fall for a straight girl.

After all, Alex Vause had once said in an OITNB episode, “Rule number 1: Never fall for a  straight girl,” and from the first time she’d heard it, Jade had decided to live by that.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhhhhh omg!!  
> ok i have a lot of stuff to address really quickly
> 
> 1\. ALL OF THE LOVE ON THIS FIC!!  
> DUDEEEE!! you guys have been giving a bunch of kudos and leaving the sweetest comments, and ughhhh it's so amazing!! thank you SO much, i literally can't believe how much you guys like this :))))
> 
> 2\. when i'll be continuing.  
> So basically, I'm a junior in high school and I'm also in Year 1 of the IB (international baccalaureate) program. idk if y'all know about the IB but basically, it's like taking all AP courses + extra work (bc we have to do a bunch of community service hours, stay active in other ways, take an extra course called Theory of Knowledge, AND do these intense projects called "internal assessments" for every class). so this past week has been REALLLLLY tough and the next one will be too, because my history IA is due on friday (basically a GIANT research paper) and i have big physics + psych tests scheduled for thursday.  
> therefore, i'm not sure when i'll be able to continue. obviously, homework and studying comes first and i have a LOT of it for the next two weeks, but i'll still try to continue every weekend. plus, winter break is coming, so hopefully i'll be able to upload more then.  
> i'm soooo sorry guys. i hate having to make you wait because you're all so supportive and patient, but i PROMISE i'll be back soon with long chapters :(
> 
> 3\. where the fic is going next (no spoilers)  
> this chapter is called "part one" because i have a few more ideas for things to happen on the flight. after the next chapter, they'll be in Argentina and all of the trip stuff will start.  
> as i mentioned before, this fic is largely based on a trip I took to Argentina last summer. on my trip, we spent the first day recovering from jet lag, but every other day was PACKED with fun stuff. therefore, i'm not sure if i'm going to make the chapters longer to include everything from each day, or split one day across multiple chapters. idk, i'll figure it out as i go :)  
> the second day my group was in buenos aires, we visited the casa rosada ("pink house" in english). the casa rosada is basically the president's office, and is important in Evita, so that's something to look forward to in a couple of chapters :)
> 
> again, i'm reallllly sorry to keep you guys waiting. i love this fic too and i really wish i could update more, but the weekdays are just so busy that it's pretty hard for me to write a lot during the week. :(
> 
> i'll definitely try to continue next weekend though :)  
> only a few weeks until the holidays!! xoxo  
> jenna :)


	10. The Flight (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori land in Argentina.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyy! I actually wrote this on like monday or something but forgot to post it! hopefully i can get another chapter out this weekend as well!

When Tori woke up, the plane was still dark and her neck was stiff. She rubbed her eyes, stretched, and yawned. Almost all of the windows were covered, but she could just barely see sunlight starting to spill in. 

Jade had woken up too. Tori turned and saw her stretch and yawn, then rub her neck. Finally, Jade looked at Tori.

“How’d you sleep?” Jade asked with just a hint of mischief.

Tori shrugged. “My neck hurts.”

Jade scoffed. “My shoulder hurts.”

Tori ignored her, and started searching for her phone. Jade reached out and handed it to her. 

It was 6:30. They were supposed to land in an hour. Tori pulled up the trip map on her TV and watched their plane fly over the center of Argentina. Jade watched over her shoulder. 

“Wanna watch another episode real quick?” Tori asked. Jade nodded.

“Ok,” Tori declared, slamming her hand on the tray dramatically, “I  _ hate  _ Mr. Healy!”

Jade laughed, “Yeah, he’s disgusting.”

They’d had to rewatch the end of the last episode, since Tori didn’t remember it, and they were halfway through the next episode when the food cart had come around with breakfast. 

“I love Alex though,” Tori added, “and she and Piper are so cute.”

Jade chuckled. She took two meals from the flight attendant and handed one to Tori, who immediately started the episode again. 

Because they were sharing headphones, Tori and Jade had to keep their heads close together to avoid ripping the headphones out of each other’s ears. Tori’s hair kept brushing up against Jade’s cheek, and Jade could feel Tori’s shoulders shake when she laughed. Tori seemed to really like Orange is the New Black, which Jade was thrilled about. 

Breakfast wasn’t much better than dinner, but at least the toast was decent. Jade hated yogurt, so she gave hers to Tori, who repaid her with a piece of toast. 

Now they were almost to Buenos Aires. Someone came on the speakers and announced that the plane would be landing in 15 minutes, which Tori pouted about because they wouldn’t have enough time to finish the episode.

Jade chuckled at the OITNB monster she’d created.

* * *

One moment, Jade was laughing, and the next, the plane was descending. Tori felt her stomach swoop and glanced nervously over at Jade, who now looked horrified. 

“Do you wanna pause or will it help you stay calm?” Tori asked, reaching her hand out to grab the phone. Jade’s face was losing color quickly.

Jade shook her head and leaned closer to her phone, so Tori moved her hand and left it on. For a moment, everything was fine, and then the plane descended again.

“Oh my fucking god,” was all Jade could say, clenching her fists and slamming back against the seat. Tori grabbed Jade’s phone and closed the tray. “Music. Play me music.”

“Ok, ok, what music?”

“Literally anything,” Jade groaned.

Jade’s phone was still unlocked, so Tori flipped to Spotify and looked through Jade’s playlist. She recognized most of the songs, but had no idea what would calm Jade. Finally, she settled for My Chemical Romance.

“Really, Tori?” Jade jeered as the opening piano part of “You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison” played.

“What?” Tori smiled, “I thought you liked MCR!”

Jade scoffed. “It’s...good, I guess, but not what I would’ve chosen to die to.”

“We’re not gonna die,” Tori chuckled. She still had an earbud in, so they listened to music together while Jade slowly calmed down. About five minutes later, Tori could see the land out of their window and turned to look closer. Suddenly, the song changed. 

It was  _ the _ song. Tori recognized it almost instantly and lunged for the phone. 

“ _ But I love it when you try to save me.” _

Jade had recognized it too. She grabbed the phone with one hand, but Tori had reached it at the same time. 

“ _ I’m just a lady. _ ”

“WHAT is so bad about this song?” Tori practically yelled, trying desperately to wrestle the phone from Jade.

“I just hate it!”  
“ _I love it when we play 1950._ ” 

“Is that what it’s called?  _ 1950 _ ?” Tori asked frantically. 

Jade grunted, and finally wrestled the phone from Tori just as the plane touched the ground. Jade was hanging out into the aisle, and in a moment of pure panic, squealed and threw her body back toward Tori’s window. 

Now the plane was rushing along the ground, and Tori was holding Jade to keep her from slamming into the seat in front of them. Jade was motionless in fear, and Tori’s arms were wrapped around her tightly. The song was still playing, but the plane was too loud to hear it. 

Finally, the plane started to slow down. The roar of the engine died down, and Tori let go of Jade. 

“ _ Did you mean it when you said I was pretty? _ ” 

Now that she was back in control of herself and on the ground, Jade skipped the song. Tori sighed. 

“Well,” Tori said, leaning back against her seat, “Welcome to Argentina!”

“I’m  _ never _ flying again.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!! sorry for the short chapter! I wrote this in one night earlier this week but never had a chance to post it. 
> 
> hopefully I can get another chapter out this weekend. this is the last week of school for me, and i plan on posting more often over winter break. 
> 
> again: overwhelmed by the support!! i kept getting kudos and comment emails during the week and highkey missed the fic so much. this week was sooo rough with homework but i got so much done and now i feel so free :)  
> (ps y'all don't care but the girl i like called me smart this week when we were studying together and i still haven't gotten over it X) if only she was gay and actually in my league lol)
> 
> see y'all soon! happy almost holidays!  
> jenna :)


	11. Bienvenidos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day in Argentina!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok just to clarify:  
> the tour guide is named Catalina but her nickname is Cat. they're the same person and Cat is NOT Cat Valentine, unless otherwise specified.  
> lowkey sorry for the confusion but also just wanted to subtly mention Cat Valentine bc queen :)

Tori packed everything up and got ready to leave while the rows in front of her stood and removed their bags from the overhead bins. Jade was scrolling through Instagram and replying to text messages she’d missed. She refused to look at Tori. 

Finally, it was their turn to leave. Jade stood and walked off the plane silently, and Tori followed. 

They waited outside the gate for the rest of their students, then walked to the baggage claim area. Everyone got their bags quickly and easily, and headed out toward the parking area. 

“Apparently our tour guide looks like this,” Jade said, holding out her phone to Tori. The tour guide was a woman, maybe a few years older than Jade and Tori, with large brown eyes and a warm smile. Tori scanned the area, but couldn’t spot her. 

“Is she holding a sign or something?” Tori asked. Jade nodded.

“Oh wait, isn’t that her?” Jade remarked, pointing to a lady near the door. 

Tori checked the phone picture, then looked back at the woman. “I think so...oh yeah, look, she has a Hollywood Arts sign!”

The group walked toward the lady. She noticed Jade and Tori at the front and waved.

“¡Hola! Bienvenidos a Argentina,” the woman cried, “Hello, and welcome to Argentina! I am Catalina García Castillo, but you all can call me Cat if you like. I will be your tour guide in the city of Buenos Aires! I’m so glad you made it safely!” 

Tori smiled. Catalina never stopped smiling, and somehow reminded Tori of her Cat. Not as clueless as Cat Valentine, but just as sweet and friendly. 

“In a few minutes, we will get on the bus and go to our hotel. I live about 30 minutes from the city, but I’ll be staying in the hotel with you so I can always be available. If our rooms are ready, you will have a few minutes to check in and unpack. However, we must be ready to go to lunch at noon. Does everyone have all of their bags?”

The group nodded. Cat smiled.

“Perfect! Then we can leave now. Please follow me!”

The group headed toward the exit. Catalina, Tori, and Jade were in front.

“We have a friend named Cat back in California,” Tori told Catalina. 

Cat grinned, “Aww! Is she a teacher, too?”

“No, she’s a singer. We were all friends in high school,” Tori said, motioning toward Jade. “I’m Tori, and this is Jade.”

Cat nodded. “Nice to meet you! Have you been to Buenos Aires before?”

Tori shook her head. “My cousin lives in Mendoza, though. His friend owns the farm that we’re going to.”

“Cool! One of my friends moved to Mendoza a few years ago, and I’ve visited her a few times,” Cat replied. “What about you?”

“Nope,” Jade said, shaking her head, “Never been to South America. My students picked Buenos Aires because they performed  _ Evita _ about a month ago.”

“Ah,  _ Evita _ ! Nice! How was it?”

Jade shrugged. “Not bad.”

Tori laughed and shook her head. "She's modest. It was _amazing._ "

Finally, they’d reached the bus. Cat sat in the front row, and Jade and Tori sat behind her. The students filed in and sat throughout the bus. 

Cat stood up once everyone was seated. “It’s a short drive to the hotel. If you are tired, you may sleep now, but please be ready to get up when we arrive.” She sat down, and the bus started up.

Jade unraveled her headphones, handing one side to Tori.

_ Good, so she’s being nice to me again, _ Tori thought, accepting the earbud. Jade still hadn’t said a word. 

Catalina turned around in her seat and faced Tori and Jade. “Your friend, Cat,” she said, pointing at her phone, “is she on Spotify?” 

Tori grinned. “Yeah! Here, I’ll put her on for you!”

She shuffled Cat’s newest EP and handed the phone back over the seat. Catalina nodded her head and smiled. 

“She’s good!” she remarked, turning back around. Tori smiled as she saw Cat turn the volume up.

They’d left the airport now, so Tori leaned over Jade’s shoulder to look out the window. It had been raining slightly, and the window was fogged up, but she could still watch the Argentine countryside rolling by. 

Soon, the countryside turned into buildings. Large buildings stretched up to the sky. Tori was amazed by how many buildings were packed into the city. Finally, the highway ended and they were in Buenos Aires. 

Cat stood again as the bus slowed down.

“Please take all of your belongings off of the bus with you,” she announced. “The driver will begin unloading your suitcases soon. Make sure you have all of your belongings  _ before _ you enter the hotel.”

Tori and Jade climbed off of the bus and waited for their suitcases. The air was chilly and the sky was cloudy, but at least the rain had stopped. 

The group dragged all of their suitcases into the hotel lobby while Cat checked in with the front desk. After a few minutes of rapid Spanish that Tori understood none of, Cat thanked the man at the desk and walked over to the group. 

“Some of the rooms are ready, but we cannot enter them until the rest are ready as well. The manager recommended that we leave our suitcases in my hotel room, which is on a separate bill, while we go out to lunch,” Catalina explained. “Since we can’t be late for lunch, the hotel staff has generously offered to bring the luggage up for us. Please take anything you need for lunch with you. I recommend that you take your pesos, coats, and phones. We will leave in 5 minutes.”

The students split up into groups of friends and started talking. Tori walked over to Catalina.

“Hey, are you sure about this? Are you sure they won’t lose anything?” she asked nervously.

Jade grabbed Tori’s shoulder. “Relax, she’s got it figured out.”

Catalina chuckled. “I understand your fear. Buenos Aires is a big city, and can make tourists nervous! But I promise, I have stayed at this hotel many times and never had any problems. Everything will be fine!” 

Tori relaxed slightly, but didn’t move. Jade thanked Catalina, and pulled Tori away. 

“You have to learn to trust people more,” Jade muttered.

“I’m just being  _ careful _ ,” Tori retorted. 

“Yeah, but Catalina knows this city better than us. If she says it’s fine, it’s fine.”

Tori didn’t respond. Jade was right, of course. 

Tori could tell that Jade was about to taunt her, but thankfully Catalina suddenly started leading the group out the door. 

Catalina had been right about bringing coats. The Buenos Aires air was fine for a few minutes, but quickly became cold. Tori was shivering after a few blocks, and she had on one of her warmest jackets.

“Today is the coldest day we’ve had so far this year,” Catalina remarked. “Since Argentina is below the equator, our seasons are opposite of California’s. You are coming from summer weather, but we are just beginning winter.”

“How cold does it get?” one of the students asked. 

“Usually not below 0º Celsius in Buenos Aires, which is about 32º Fahrenheit,” Cat replied, “but our southern tip can get  _ very _ cold. We are actually the closest country to Antarctica, because of our southern tip. We are also the 8th largest country in size. Can anyone guess which countries are larger?”

The students raised their hands. Cat turned around and pointed. 

“United States?” 

“Yes!”

“China.”

“Yes!”

“Canada?”

“Yes!”

“Russia!” 

“Yes! What else?”

Less students had their hands raised now. “Australia?” someone yelled.

“Yes! Two more!”

The students thought. No more hands were up. 

“My tours always forget these two. The fifth largest country is our neighbor, Brazil, and the seventh largest country is India,” Catalina concluded. “And here we are at the restaurant! One of my favorites in the city!” 

They were standing outside of a two-story pizza shop. Cat held the door open, and the group stepped in. 

A man yelled happily at the sight of Catalina. She closed the door behind the last student and rushed to hug him. They greeted each other in Spanish, then Cat turned to the students. 

“This is one of my best friends, Maximiliano! He will help serve us today,” Cat said. She turned to Maximiliano and muttered something. He smiled and lead the group upstairs to a large table pushed up against a wall with windows that overlooked the city street.

Jade and Tori sat next to each other near the wall. Making sure to save a seat for Catalina across from Tori, the students sat down, laughing and talking loudly. 

Tori grabbed her menu and immediately panicked. 

“Jade, this is completely in Spanish.”

“Of course it is, what’d you expect?”

“I know, but I don’t understand it! I only know a few words!”

Jade scoffed. She grabbed Tori’s menu and started reading. Students were starting to ask Tori and Jade about the menu, too. Quickly, Jade and Tori were annoyed.

“I don’t  _ know _ what a gaseosa is!” Tori yelled, scaring a student. “Jade, what’s a gaseosa?”

“GOOGLE IT!” Jade cried angrily, throwing a menu at Tori. Some of the students stifled laughs. 

Suddenly, Cat arrived with Maximiliano. She clapped her hands to get the attention of  the group, and everyone immediately fell silent.

“Maxi has recommended that we all order empanadas, to experience Argentina’s culture, and I agree! However, I also think that you should order pizzas. One pizza will feed about 4 people, so please divide into groups and decide which toppings you would like. Everyone should also order a plate of empanadas to split with their group. This is the  _ best _ place to order empanadas, that I’ve tried,” Cat said. She thanked Maximiliano and sat down near Tori and Jade.

“What do you two like on pizza?” she asked. 

Tori looked at Jade. Her face was still red with frustration, and she was out of breath. 

Tori chuckled.  “Anything, but what’s a gaseosa?” 

“Soda!” Catalina chirped. “It comes with all of our food!”

* * *

The pizza was great, and the empanadas were delicious. The group ate happily, paid their checks, and left after Cat said goodbye to her friend. 

It was raining again, and even colder than before. Tori and Jade kept bumping shoulders as they walked close together in the back of the group. Cat was leading, but Tori had suggested that she and Jade make sure that none of the students were left behind. 

Tori felt like she was in a movie. Buenos Aires was just like any other city, but somehow it was beautiful. The rain dripped from trees planted between the road and sidewalk. Leaves littered the street, which was paved in cobblestone. The buildings stretched two or three stories high, and stood connected across each street. Tori had only been to New Orleans once or twice, but the Buenos Aires buildings reminded her of the French Quarter.

They reached the hotel, and Cat began distributing room keys. Tori and Jade had decided to share a room to save money. They grabbed their luggage from Catalina’s room and headed to the fourth floor. 

The room was surprisingly spacious. There were two twin beds, a couch, and a TV, as well as a large bathroom with a shower/bathtub. They even had a window that looked out into the city. 

Tori threw her suitcase on a bed and handed Jade the jackets she’d stored. Jade was already unloading her clothes and placing them in a drawer.

“I’m gonna plug my phone in but you can use the international adapter once its done,” Tori said, storing her extra shoes next to the door. 

“Cool,” Jade replied. “Cat said we have like 6 hours until dinner.”

“Yeah, why’s it so late?” 

“They eat it pretty late here. Like 9-10ish.”

“Jeez,” Tori said, “I might have to buy some candy from that store we passed.” She unpacked her pajamas and fell onto her bed. Jade was still putting away her jackets.

Tori flipped the TV on, but suddenly stopped.  “We should watch OITNB. We have 6 hours, we could finish season 1.”

Jade spun around quickly. “Yes,” she said simply, grabbing her phone and pulling up the next episode. 

Jade sat down on her bed, and Tori climbed over. They laid down together while Jade held the phone. Jade hadn’t even taken her shoes off before laying down, which Tori would’ve been disturbed by if she wasn’t addicted to OITNB. 

Six hours passed. Six episodes, then they rushed downstairs and barely found the group in time. Tori laughed at Catalina’s panicked expression while Jade grinned. 

“We almost left without you two! Don’t do this to me again,” Cat chuckled. 

“No promises,” Jade whispered once Cat had turned away. Tori cackled. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> broooooo this is making me so nostalgic. i literally went back and looked at my old pictures from Buenos Aires when I was writing about the streets and ughhhh i miss it :,)
> 
> ngl i allllmost did it to em with the Classic "sharing a bed" fanfic prompt but ended up making two beds bc I didn't feel like the Classic would fit jori's vibe oops X)
> 
> when i went to argentina, my tour guide was literally a living legend. the coolest dude ever and so informative. so basically i'm basing Catalina off of him. a lot of the random info she mentions is stuff he told us and literally even the way she speaks sounds like him (didn't plan that part, it just sort of happened. oops)
> 
> the ideas I have right now have so much potential for fluff and this is a pretty fluffy story so far, so the next few chapters are gonna be fluffy but i'm thinking about m a y b e having an angsty moment soon (but idk how soon) so get ready for that >:)
> 
> love y'all  
> jenna :)


	12. La Boca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori visit La Casa Rosada and La Boca.

Jade stumbled into her hotel room, completely exhausted. She flopped onto her bed and groaned loudly. Behind her, Tori was bustling around the room energetically. 

“Aren’t you getting a shower?” Tori asked, putting away her coat and closing the closet door. Jade groaned again.

Jade’s feet were hanging off the bed, her combat boots still laced up tight. Her face was pressed into the bedsheets and it was starting to get harder to breathe, but she was too tired to move. She’d just sleep like this and get a shower in the morning. 

“Jade, at least take your jacket and shoes off,” Tori said. Now she was starting to pack a bag for tomorrow. How was she not exhausted?

With one final groan, Jade rose. She took off her shoes and jacket, used the bathroom, and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a random T-shirt. She brushed her teeth with Tori and then crawled into her bed. 

Tori was still moving around, and refused to turn out any of the lights. Jade tried to ignore her, but finally couldn’t handle it anymore. 

_ “Will you just go to sleep already?” _ Jade growled. 

Tori’s suitcase slammed shut. “I was just picking out an outfit for tomorrow!”

“Well, are you done?”

No response. Jade rolled over and saw Tori climb into bed and shut the light off. 

“Good night!” Tori said.

Jade grunted in reply. 

* * *

**The Next Morning**

Jade was just grabbing a banana when Catalina called everyone over to the door. Rolling her eyes, Jade grabbed her banana, put on her jacket, and walked with Tori over to the group. 

They’d barely even made it to breakfast. Jade had slept in and Tori, despite being ready a whole hour in advance, refused to leave without her. She’d yelled and panicked as Jade simultaneously brushed her hair and did her eyeliner. Thankfully, Jade was used to being late and was able to scramble downstairs and eat just in time.  _ And  _ her eyeliner was perfect. 

Tori was smiling and bubbling with energy, as always. Jade couldn’t comprehend how someone could get such little sleep and still act alive. 

Catalina led everyone to the bus. Tori and Jade sat together behind Cat again, and Jade started to unravel her earbuds. Suddenly, Cat turned around. 

“I listened to some of your friend’s music last night. She’s amazing!” Cat grinned. 

Tori nodded excitedly. “I know right! What’s your favorite song?” 

The drive was only a few minutes, but Catalina and Tori talked about music the whole time. Meanwhile, Jade tried to sleep. 

She was interrupted when Catalina stood and yelled. 

“Hello everyone! Wake up! We have a  _ very _ big day today! We’re here at the Casa Rosada, and we’re going to visit La Boca later today!” Catalina cried. 

Tori tugged on Jade’s arm and pulled her up and off the bus. The sudden blast of cold air felt like someone had poured a bucket of water over Jade’s head. 

Tori and Jade stood on the sidewalk with Catalina while the students climbed off the bus. Tori was shivering intensely, but Catalina seemed completely unbothered by the cool air. 

She led the group across the street and into a square. Tori and Jade walked shoulder-to-shoulder to keep warm. 

“Here it is! The Casa Rosada, our president’s office!” Cat exclaimed. 

The Casa Rosada was incredible. It was only a few stories high, but impressively long and wide. The cloudy sky made it appear as more of a brick color than pink, and certain parts were topped with a greenish roof. A black fence surrounded the building, and a large Argentine flag flew from the very top. 

Jade felt someone tap on her shoulder. She and Tori both turned around and saw Catalina grinning. 

“I’ll take your picture!” she said. “Can I have your phones?”

“Sure!” Tori said, handing over her phone. She beamed and put her arm around Jade’s shoulders as Cat stepped back. 

Jade smiled as Cat took about 50 photos. Finally, Jade walked up, thanked her, and took the phone back. She handed it back to Tori and turned towards the Casa Rosada.

The kids were walking around the square in cliques, taking photos and laughing. Jade watched them for a moment. She felt Tori move to stand next to her. 

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” Catalina enthused. “The pink color symbolizes power and wealth. In old times, the nobility would color their houses with the blood of animals they killed. Pink became a symbol of wealth because someone with a pink house had killed enough animals that they could spare the blood for their house. It was also thought to protect the building from the weather. Strange, but true!” 

Jade was fascinated. “Wait, so this whole thing is actually covered in cow blood?”  
Cat laughed. “We’re actually not sure. Some people think so, but others believe that it’s white and red paint. There’s also a theory that it was supposed to symbolize unity between the two political parties.”

“But it  _ might _ actually be covered in blood?” 

“I suppose so, yes––”

“––BUT it’s not confirmed, so I guess we’ll never know!” Tori interrupted aggressively, “Jade, come see this flag with me!”

Jade reluctantly allowed Tori to drag her away from Catalina and into the middle of the square, which Cat had called the “Plaza de Mayo.” A massive flagpole stood in the very center of the Plaza, and a huge Argentine flag was waving in the wind. 

The ground around the flag was covered in a strange symbol. Jade recognized it and pointed it out to Tori.

“What is it?” Tori asked, lowering her phone and snapping a picture. 

“It’s the symbol for the Mothers of the Disappeared,” Jade explained. “I read a little about them a while ago. A bunch of people went missing during the dictatorship, so years later their moms formed this big group and protested a bunch. That’s their symbol, because they all wear white head-scarves that look like that.”

“Wow,” Tori said, “why did you research that?”

Jade shrugged. “I got bored one night.”

“When I get bored, I spend the entire night on the same three apps on my PearPhone,” Tori chuckled. “Meanwhile, you’re learning all about the dark history of Argentina.”

Jade didn’t respond. She tried hopelessly not to notice how pretty Tori’s eyes looked when she was impressed, or how the wind was making her hair float almost magically. Or how her smile made the chill of the air disappear. 

Finally, Catalina called everyone back to the bus. Jade blinked a few times and said a silent thanks to Cat for interrupting her thoughts as she walked back to the group with Tori. 

The bus pulled up to an open area next to a few shops. The space was occupied by a strange, colorful sculpture. A stray dog was sitting in the center. Murals covered a wall on the distant side of the space. 

Catalina explained that everyone had 20 minutes to use the bathroom in the nearby stores, then they would all cross the street and walk into La Boca together. Finally, they would have an hour to wander. Everyone had to be with one other person at all times, and the students all had Tori, Jade, and Catalina’s numbers if they had problems. 

Tori and Jade walked into a store together. The front of the store sold stereotypical gift shop items, while the back of the store held leather bags, clothes, and hats. Jade immediately gravitated toward a new wallet in the back of the store, while Tori tried to find a souvenir for her parents and Trina. 

Jade’s current wallet was ripped, stretched, and faded. She’d used it all through high school and ever since, and had finally decided to try to replace it when the bottom of one side had ripped and spilled her cards and coins everywhere. 

She found a nice black leather wallet almost immediately. It seemed very well made but didn’t have a price tag, so Jade brought it up to the counter to ask about the price. Just as she reached the cashier, Jade panicked and forgot the Spanish word for “cost.” 

_Shit._ Jade stammered and stared off, trying desperately to think of the word. _I know it, it’s literally on the tip of my tongue._ _It’s so easy. What the hell is it though?_

Jade looked around the store and spotted Tori. “Tori!  _ ¡Ayudame, por favor! _ ” 

Tori set down the magnet she’d been looking at and rushed over. “What’s up?”

“How do you say ‘how much does it cost’ in Spanish? ¿Cuanto…”

“¿Cuanto cuesta?” Tori replied. 

Jade almost exploded. “I  _ KNEW _ THATTTT!” she groaned loudly as the cashier chuckled and said the price. Tori smiled and patted Jade’s shoulder sympathetically. 

Jade pulled the money out of her old wallet, paid, and moved her pesos into her new wallet happily. “Gracias,” she muttered as she and Tori left with the group. 

Tori smiled. “Anytime.”

To Jade, La Boca was like a dream. La Boca was basically a larger version of Jade’s classroom, with art covering almost every inch of the city. Vendors displayed their creations on large metal racks that lined the streets. Every building was painted with vibrant combinations of colors. They even passed an old woman sitting at a table with a crystal ball and a deck of tarot cards. Jade nodded at the old woman, and she smiled mysteriously in return. 

Catalina led the group down a wider street that was filled with artists and craftsmen selling their work. There were restaurants and gift shops lining the sides of the street, and Jade could smell empanadas cooking. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tori breathe deeply and smile. 

The group split up after Cat pointed out a few shops she liked. Jade and Tori held back for a moment to make sure that all of the students were in groups, then headed over to the art tents. 

Jade quickly spent almost all of her money. She couldn’t ignore any of the artists, and became mesmerized by something at almost every table. Once Tori dragged her away from a 10,000 peso (about $150 USD) sketch of a cat, they watched some tango dancers at the end of the street and bought empanadas. 

“Do you want me to carry something?” Tori asked. Jade had bought so many pieces of art that she was carrying several bags in each hand. 

Jade shook her head. 

“Where are you even going to pack all of this?” Tori giggled. 

“Wherever it fits.”

“Where are you putting it?”

“My classroom.”

Tori laughed. “You’re  _ such _ an art addict.”

Jade smirked and rolled her eyes.

“No, seriously. André and I need to intervene  _ soon _ , before you get yourself in Argentine debt,” Tori teased.

“How would I even do that?”

“If anyone could find a way, it’d be you,” Tori replied.

Jade laughed. They were starting to walk back toward the bus now, and she had to physically restrain herself from looking at the art displays. Eventually, she just decided to look at Tori instead. 

That was dangerous in its own way. Jade had told herself a thousand times not to allow herself to get lost in Tori. Tori was the straight best friend that every sad lesbian warns against, and Jade refused to be another cliche. Jade hated even considering Tori her best friend, but since Sikowitz was the only other person Jade talked to on a regular basis, she didn’t have a whole lot of choices. 

But Tori was swaying along a random street in Buenos Aires and bubbling with laughter. Tori was running her fingers through her hair as it waved in the wind, pointing out creative paintings she liked. She grabbed Jade’s shoulder and squealed when she saw a stray dog, and whined when she remembered she wasn’t supposed to pet it. Her eyes widened slightly when Jade talked, and she stared attentively into Jade’s eyes. It felt almost invasive, but Jade couldn’t help but wish for it to happen again. She knew she couldn’t give in to Tori, but she  _ really _ wanted to kiss her. 

Tori was smiling while Jade talked about a project she was working on. They were crossing the street, walking shoulder-to-shoulder.

And then an old gray car was speeding towards Tori.

Jade threw an arm across Tori’s chest and pushed her backwards. The car skidded as Jade felt herself fall backward. Someone screamed as Jade hit the concrete. 

* * *

“What the fuck! Are you ok?”

Jade took a minute to reorient herself. She was sitting in the street. The car had passed, and Tori was next to her, apparently unharmed. Nothing hurt. 

Jade looked up at Tori. Tori’s eyes were scanning Jade’s face anxiously, and her lips were parted slightly. She looked terrified, but mostly worried. 

“Jade? Are you hurt?” Tori demanded frantically. 

Jade shook her head. 

Tori sighed. “Thank god. That was kinda crazy.”

Suddenly, Jade realized she’d been gripping Tori’s wrist. She awkwardly let go and said nothing about it as they stood. 

“That’s a nice drawing,” Jade said, pointing to a display on the other side of the street.

Tori nodded. “Yeah,” she replied hesitantly, still clearly rattled and refusing to look away from Jade, “it’s cool.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bro this chapter literally took forever to write. I had the worrrrst writers block and was pretty busy so I just got stuck about halfway through. here we are tho :)
> 
> hope everyone had a good holiday season! that was mostly the reason this took so long because I was super busy with family + friends, but hopefully i can get the next chapter done soon. 
> 
> see y'all soon (for real this time)  
> jenna :)


	13. Don't Cry for Me, Argentina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori visit the grave of Eva Perón and Tori starts to feel differently.

The next day was what everyone had been waiting for: visiting the grave of Eva Perón. The former First Lady of Argentina and subject of the musical _Evita_ was the main reason the group had travelled to Buenos Aires, and everyone was quivering with excitement in the morning. 

It was a short bus ride to the cemetery. The busy days and late nights were starting to catch up to Tori, so she rested her head on Jade’s shoulder absentmindedly. 

“Don’t fall asleep!” Cat grinned, “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Tori nodded and chuckled. Jade handed her an earbud and they listened together until the bus arrived at the graveyard. 

Before they entered the graveyard, Catalina led the group into the church next to it. Tori wasn’t religious, so she didn’t care much about churches. She assumed Jade wasn’t either, but Jade seemed interested in the statues and sculptures. As usual, she just couldn’t ignore art. Tori decided to follow her around the church until Catalina called everyone back outside.

“Has anyone been to New Orleans?” Cat asked as they walked into the cemetery. A few people raised their hands, including Tori. Cat nodded. “Our graves are similar to theirs. However, in New Orleans, graves are above-ground because of their geography. In Argentina, above-ground graves are a symbol of wealth and power, because they’re more expensive and can be more impressive than traditional graves.”

“This is the cemetery for some of our more important graves,” Catalina continued. “Some past presidents, military leaders, and wealthy businessmen are buried here. I’ll point out a few graves and we’ll make sure to stop by the Duarte grave to see Eva Perón!”

The students muttered excitedly as Catalina led the group through the graveyard. The weather was warmer than it had been, and leaves littered the stone paths of the cemetery. The graves were taller than Tori had expected, and the cemetery as a whole was much larger. She and Jade walked together at the back of the group, taking their time to look at the graves. 

“When did you go to New Orleans?” Jade asked suddenly.

Tori shrugged. “Middle school, I think. My aunt used to live there. I don’t remember a lot of it, but we saw the graves and ate a _lot_.” 

Jade chuckled. 

Jade's arms were folded in front of her, holding her favorite black leather jacket. Her green shirt, black skirt, and black tights echoed her old style, and her stoic eyes and slightly pursed lips reminded Tori of the taunting attitude Jade had greeted her with when they’d first met. Jade hadn’t changed much since high school, but she wasn’t quite so closed off anymore.

Maybe that was why Tori felt like she was seeing Jade for the first time. 

Jade’s eyes. Jade’s skin. Jade’s shoulders, hips, and legs. Jade’s lips. Jade’s jawline and nose and cheekbones. Jade’s smile and laugh and the little way she raised one eyebrow. Why did that eyebrow raise make Tori’s heart skip?

Tori suddenly came to a thought that made her stomach drop. But as quickly as it had come, she dismissed it. 

They were at the grave of Eva Perón now. Catalina had been talking, and now Tori snapped back to listening. 

“Eva was a very controversial person,” Catalina continued. “To the working class, she was a hero. She and her husband were seen as saviors, icons, and almost godly. However, the richer classes didn’t care for the Peróns as much. To this day, people still feel very strongly about Eva and Juan Perón. As you can see, some people still bring flowers to her grave and mourn her early death. She was a very important part of our history, despite being so controversial.”

Catalina was right about the flowers. A few bouquets were attached to the grave while others laid on the ground in front of it. Almost all of the flowers were fresh and blooming. Eva’s grave was the only grave with flowers that Tori could see. 

Everyone took a minute to take pictures of the grave and admire it, then Catalina led the group out of the cemetery. They walked to a mall, and Catalina stated that they had an hour to eat in small groups. She recommended a fast food place called “Mostaza,” which was apparently an Argentine chain similar to McDonald’s. There was also a McDonald’s in the same building with dulce de leche ice cream. Most of the students were enticed by the ice cream, but Tori and Jade decided to head to Mostaza to be away from the crowd of kids. 

“Can you order for me?” Tori muttered to Jade while they waited in line.

“I thought you could speak Spanish?” Jade responded. 

“I can, I’m just not very good. And you know more than I do!”

Jade groaned. “Why can’t you just order for yourself?” 

“Please?” Tori begged. 

Jade was silent for a minute, then walked up and ordered. The cashier ended up knowing some English, but Jade knew enough Spanish to get by. She thanked the cashier and claimed a table with Tori. 

The food was basically McDonald’s, but better quality. They sat near the window and started eating. Jade paused for a moment and looked at Tori.

“You owe me,” she said, “You have to order in Spanish for me at dinner.”

Tori whined, “I’m not good at Spanish!”

“You’re literally Latina!” 

“That doesn’t mean I’m good at Spanish!” Tori argued. “¡Soy un gringa!” 

Jade smirked. “It’s _una_ gringa.”

“See! I’m bad at Spanish!” Tori smiled. She took another bite of food and stared out the window. “Hey, you can see the graveyard while you eat!”

“Really?” Jade sat up and looked out the window excitedly. “That’s perfect. I love that.”

Tori laughed. “You would.”

Jade smirked at the ground guiltily. Tori grinned as she watched her. Once again, she looked cute. She _was_ cute. She was beautiful. 

And Tori felt _so_ confused. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all!
> 
> lowkey a really short chapter but I PROMISE more is coming! I had a bit of writer's block for this chapter but I wrote a plan for the rest of the fic at the top of my google doc and I'm really excited to write the next two chapters in particular :)
> 
> my finals week is coming up but I don't think it will interfere with my update plan (i try to post every sunday night bc it's easier for me to write over the weekend). if it does and i miss a post, don't worry, I promise i'll be back soon :) 
> 
> now that I have the rest of this fic planned out, I'm trying to think of another idea for a fic i could write after this is done. I have my OITNB one that I started but idk if I wanna go back to it or start a new fic. would yall want another Jori fic if i had a good idea?
> 
> i love y'all + this fic so much, and can't wait to write more soon :))))
> 
> see ya!  
> jenna :)


	14. It Takes Two to Tango

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tori and Jade are both conflicted, then take a tango lesson.

At dinner that night, Jade felt awkward. As usual, the students sat together at a long table while she, Tori, and Catalina sat together at a separate table. Tori was sitting next to Cat and Jade was on the opposite side of the table. Catalina, as always, was talkative, energetic, and hilarious, and Tori laughed almost nonstop. Jade didn’t speak, but her eyes darted from Catalina to Tori and back again as she laughed hesitantly. 

Jade was getting a little sick of Tori. She made Jade feel so emotionally weak, because Jade  _ knew _ she should shut off her feelings and Tori made it impossible. Tori was just so fucking perfect. 

Jade could get around crushes on straight girls (not that she’d had that many) by emphasizing any of their flaws. She knew it sounded bitchy, but if Jade could identify a “deal-breaker” in a straight girl, she’d get turned off quickly. 

Therefore, Tori was  _ that _ much harder to get over. Tori didn’t have any deal-breakers. Tori seemed perfect, and Jade wanted her more than she’d wanted anyone ever before. It would take a literal miracle for Jade to get over her feelings for Tori, and things weren’t looking too good…

Jade couldn’t stop staring. She didn’t want to stop, even though she disgusted herself. She refused to let her heart get broken by Tori, but now Jade was making it easy. She would glance at Tori and immediately regret it. She’d swear she wasn’t falling, but then Tori would laugh again. Jade was literally acting like an addict. 

Jade shuddered. She had to stop. She  _ had _ to stop. 

“Right?” 

Tori was looking at her. She’d asked Jade something, but of course she wasn’t paying attention.

“What?” Jade replied.

Tori laughed. “We were talking about high school, and I said ‘Hollywood Arts always felt like a dream in action,’ right?”

Jade nodded. “Yeah. Like something out of a movie, I guess.”

“Yeah!” Tori smiled. 

Cat chuckled. “My schools were always poor. But, my college was nice. In Argentina, you can get a degree to be a tour guide, so that’s what I did! The classes were pretty tough, all of the random history…”

Jade wasn’t listening again. She was  _ completely _ hopeless.

* * *

**Tori’s POV**

The waiter came to take their orders and the conversation stalled for a moment. Tori sighed. She was trying not to look at Jade too closely, but also didn’t want to seem weird. She turned to look at the waiter.

He was a young man, and rather attractive. Tori stared at his face. 

_ I want to kiss him, _ Tori thought _ , He’s hot and I’m straight and I want to kiss him, right? _

He was hot, that much was certain. But was she  _ attracted _ to him? He was nice to look at, but there was no physical feeling that came with staring at him. She didn’t feel an urge to kiss him or even touch him. 

Tori turned to look at Jade. Just out of curiosity. 

It happened instantly. Butterflies flooded her stomach as her heart quivered. A warm feeling covered her skin and she felt like she might start sweating. Tori  _ definitely  _ wanted to touch Jade. She didn’t want to admit it, but she definitely wanted to do  _ everything _ to Jade. 

Tori looked away and her heart sank. 

_ There’s no way. _ Tori panicked.  _ Not Jade. I’m not even gay! I’ve been with guys, and I liked it! _

Tori ordered quickly, then continued freaking out once Jade started ordering. 

_ Am I bi? How could I not have realized sooner? Am I just really stupid? Or am I overreacting and pretending I have feelings that aren’t really there? I can’t have a crush on Jade. She’s Jade, I’ve known her since highschool. If this was real, shouldn’t it have happened sooner? _

Jade finished ordering, and Catalina started talking again. She was babbling about her cousin that lives in the south of Argentina, and although Tori was interested, she couldn’t calm down. 

_ EVEN if it’s real, and it's probably not, there’s nothing I can do about it. She dated Beck for years and didn’t even consider another person, boy or girl, so she’s obviously straight. There’s no point in acknowledging it, if it’s even a real thing.  _

Tori laughed and asked Cat a question about her cousin. She was done thinking about Jade. They were friends, and Tori was just lonely and overthinking. 

* * *

**Jade’s POV**

“Can we watch OITNB tonight?” Tori asked as she put her shoes away.

Jade looked down as she started to unlace her boots. “Uh, I’m pretty tired, so I’m just gonna go to bed.”

“Ok, me too,” Tori replied. “I just need a shower.”

Jade grabbed her headphones and shuffled one of her playlists without looking. Lana del Rey. Perfect. Lana was depressing, and Jade was depressed and craving more sadness. 

_ This is it _ , Jade thought.  _ This is what everyone says not to do to yourself. This is why lesbians hate straight girls, and I didn’t listen. Of course I didn’t listen. _

In moments like these, Jade wondered if she was done. She was just always SO lonely, so would she be better off just dying now? Or maybe she should become a nun so she’d have a reason to be single. 

But Jade wasn’t even vaguely religious, and Tori would cry if she had to come to Jade’s funeral. Jade didn’t want to think about Tori crying. 

_ So why can’t I just move on. _

It wasn’t a question. Jade thought of it more like an annoyed declaration.  _ Why is it so hard to move on.  _

For starters, Jade hadn’t had many crushes. There’d been random girls in high school, but the power that Beck gave her was always more appealing. Besides, most of those girls were annoying anyway. 

_ But Tori’s annoying, and dating her would only end up in heartbreak. Why can’t I act like she’s one of those girls? _

Jade supposed she was lonelier now than before. Although she hadn’t been attracted to Beck, he was someone. He was warm, and kind, and helpful. He was someone to go to whenever she needed him. Without him, she had no one to touch, no one to talk to, and no one to care about. Sure, she hadn’t been attracted to Beck, but she’d loved him as a friend, and sometimes even missed him. She’d really only broken up with him because she didn’t want to marry him, and she used to think she’d be able to find a girlfriend. Instead, she’d thrown herself into work and art and loneliness, and never met anyone. 

_ Maybe that’s why I’m stuck on her. She’s the first person I’ve come close to and deluded myself into thinking I have a shot with in years.  _ Jade changed and crawled into her bed.  _ Maybe she just feels realistic, and that’s why I’m stuck on the idea of being with her.  _

Jade closed her eyes. 

_ She is straight,  _ she thought.  _ She is straight. She isn’t worth it. She’ll never love me. She’s straight. She likes men.  _

Jade repeated her thoughts until she felt sick, then turned off her music and went to sleep. She felt lonelier than ever. 

* * *

**The next night…**

The group had spent the day exploring the streets of the city, visiting shops, and purchasing souvenirs. Tori and Jade had found a group of street vendors, including an elderly woman selling clay skulls and another woman selling a large assortment of rings and necklaces. Jade had been fascinated by the skulls, while Tori was able to purchase several new rings. 

After wandering for several hours, the group met back up at the hotel and followed Cat  to the tango room for their lesson. The sun had set and the air bit Tori’s face as she walked next to Jade on the sidewalk. Some of the kids were talking to Catalina about Argentine holidays in front of Tori and Jade. Tori eavesdropped on their conversation for a moment, then got bored. 

She nudged Jade slightly. “So what’s up?”

“I’m hungry.” Jade said plainly. 

Tori nodded slightly and looked down at the ground awkwardly. She wondered why talking to Jade felt so difficult all of a sudden. It felt like they’d talked about  _ everything  _ already. 

“Do you…” Jade asked, “um...kind of miss home?”

Tori laughed. “Not gonna lie, a little. I feel guilty because I know I should be appreciating every moment but...I miss my bed!”

Jade chuckled. “I miss sleeping.”

“Seriously! I miss eating before 10pm…” 

“Part of me wants to stay here and do this forever,” Jade replied, “but I also feel  _ so  _ homesick.”

Tori nodded. “I think that’s culture shock.”

“I hate it.”

* * *

They’d finally arrived at the tango place. Cat led the group through the door and up a flight of stairs to a large room. The room was dimly lit and one of the walls was covered by a mirror, while another had a window that overlooked the street they’d just been walking on. There was a bar with stools and several couches pushed against a wall. 

The two dancers beckoned to the group of students. Jade immediately sat on one of the couches, and Tori followed her. 

“You don’t wanna dance?” Tori asked.

Jade shook her head. “I don’t like big group dance lessons. I don’t really  _ love  _ dancing, but I don’t really hate it. I just don’t feel like it.”

“Huh. You used to dance all the time in high school!”

“I like dancing, I just don’t feel like doing it in front of all my students,” Jade shrugged. “And I hate tango.”

Tori’s mouth dropped. “How can you hate tango?”

Jade rolled her eyes, and Tori resignedly turned to watch the students. 

The dancers paired up the students, then began demonstrating each step one-by-one. Catalina was wandering from group to group, giving advice and jumping in to dance occasionally. The students really seemed to like Cat, and Tori smiled as a few students called Cat over excitedly. 

The students practiced the moves repeatedly while Cat and the dancers watched. Tori and Jade watched from the couch, laughing and joking with each other. Some woman came into the room and gave Tori and Jade some water while they sat together. 

Suddenly, Catalina walked over to the couch. 

“Come dance!” Cat cried. “I’ll teach you!”

“Oh, we don’t feel like dancing,” Tori replied. “Thanks though!”

Cat shook her head. “You might never be here again!”

She was right. Tori glanced at Jade and raised her eyebrows. “I’m down if you are, but it’s up to you.”

Jade sat for a moment. She sighed, then stood. Tori squealed excitedly and dragged Jade into the center of the group by her wrist. Catalina followed them happily.

“Alright! First, you–” Cat said, pointing to Tori, “hold her left hand with your right.”

Tori awkwardly took Jade’s hand.

Cat continued. “Perfect! Now, Jade, put your other hand around Tori’s waist!”

“Wait, what?” Jade replied abruptly. 

Catalina laughed. “Come on! Don’t be shy!”

Tori’s heart raced. She felt Jade gingerly put her arm around her waist as a nervous shiver ran down her spine. 

“Perfect! Now watch me!” Cat cried, demonstrating the tango. Tori and Jade watched carefully until Cat declared it was their turn to try. 

Tori felt Jade’s hand starting to sweat, but ignored it. She looked down at her feet anxiously, then looked up at Jade’s face. Their eyes locked, and Jade smirked mischievously. 

Suddenly, Tori was swept into motion. They were shaky at first, but after just a few runs, the moves felt natural. Tori and Jade moved in perfect unison as Catalina cheered. Jade’s arm was gripping Tori’s waist firmly now as they wove around each other. Tori laughed as Jade spun her around and caught her effortlessly. Finally, they slowed and stopped. 

Catalina cheered loudly and high-fived the pair. Tori hadn’t realized how much attention they’d gotten; the dancers in charge had been watching them closely, as were most of the students.

Tori glanced at Jade. She was smiling as Cat raved over how natural they’d looked. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face and Tori forced herself to look away before Jade caught her staring. 

Catalina thanked the dancers for the lesson and began to lead the group out of the building for dinner. Tori and Jade suddenly realized they were still holding hands. Tori chuckled awkwardly as Jade tried to look away. They walked out together at the back of the group and followed Catalina to the restaurant. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all!
> 
> BROOO it's been a while! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to post last weekend! I had to study a bunch for finals, and my aunt was in town so i spent a lot of the weekend with her. I'll definitely be getting back to posting now tho!
> 
> idk if y'all have had finals yet, or if you're going to, but either way, sending good vibes :)
> 
> I've been waiting for this chapter + the next chapter since basically the beginning of the fic. I'm not sure exactly how the next one will go, but it should be pretty exciting :)
> 
> hope everyone had a nice long weekend! my new semester starts tomorrow so that's fun :/
> 
> see y'all soon! xoxo  
> jenna :)


	15. Drink-Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori have dinner after the tango lesson.

The restaurant was crowded, dimly lit, and large. The group was led past a large bar and into a back room, where a private table was set for them. Jade, Tori, and Cat sat together at the end of the table, and the waiter brought them a wine list as they sat. 

Catalina quickly stood and explained to the students that they would not be ordering individually. Instead, everyone would share appetizers and sides, and each person would get their own steak. Cat sat back down, and the waiter walked around asking how each person would like their steak cooked. 

“Did you enjoy the tango lesson?” she asked Tori and Jade as she grabbed the wine list. 

“Yes! It was  _ so  _ fun! Thanks for asking us to join!” Tori replied. She looked at Jade. 

Jade shrugged. “It was pretty cool,” she muttered. She smirked very slightly and looked away. 

“I’m glad you liked it!” Cat smiled and set down the wine list. “I’m going to order us a bottle of wine, if you’d like?”

Tori grinned. “Sure!” she replied, and turned to Jade expectantly. 

Jade shook her head stiffly. “Thanks, but I don’t drink. You two can share it.”

“Really?” Tori responded, confused. 

“Yeah, go ahead. It’s fine.”

Puzzled, Tori looked away. In their senior year of high school, Jade would drink almost every weekend. She bought alcohol from strangers, stole from her dad, and even had her own fake ID that she only used as a last resort. She was always terrified of getting caught, and she’d only drink if she knew she’d be safe. Tori had seen her get wasted at Beck’s a thousand times, and when Jade and Beck had broken up, Jade would come to Tori’s and drink. Sure, she was a bit of a messy drunk, but she never let herself get  _ too _ out of hand. 

_ What happened? _ Tori worried. 

Cat had been talking about Argentina’s wine. Tori heard the end of the conversation, then Cat changed the subject.

“How are you two liking Buenos Aires?” Cat asked.

Tori smiled. “It’s wonderful. I never want to leave!”

“Really?” Cat laughed, “You don’t miss home at all?” 

“Oh, I guess…” Tori shrugged, “Jade and I were actually talking about that earlier. Right Jade?”

“Yeah,” Jade muttered. She wouldn’t look at Tori or Cat. 

Cat smiled obliviously. “What do you two teach? I never asked.”

“I’m a music teacher. This was my first year,” Tori replied. “Jade’s an art teacher.”

“Oh! What kind of art?”

Jade shrugged. “Painting and sketching. Really whatever the students want.”

“Do you paint?” Catalina asked. 

Jade nodded.

“She’s  _ amazing! _ ” Tori interrupted. “You wouldn’t believe it. In high school, she was more into singing and acting, so I never really knew how good she was. But she’s amazing!”

Tori’s eyes met Jade’s for a moment, then the wine arrived. Jade was acting strangely, but Tori couldn’t remember anything happening. Jade wouldn’t look Tori in the eye, but Tori kept noticing her staring. 

Catalina poured wine for herself and Tori, then extended the bottle toward Jade carefully. “Are you sure you don’t want any?”

Jade was silent for a minute, then took the bottle without another word. Tori’s heart sank. 

_ What if she shouldn’t be drinking? _

* * *

They’d finished the meal, paid, and were standing up to leave when Cat stopped Jade and Tori. 

“You two can stay if you’d like! I’ll take the kids back to the hotel. Do you know how to walk back?” she asked. 

Tori was surprised. “I think so, but are you sure?”

Cat smiled. “Yes! Have a drink or two! The hotel’s just a few blocks away, or I can come later and walk back with you.”

“I think we’ll be fine. Thanks!” Tori replied. She and Jade walked over to the bar and sat down.

Jade had only had two glasses of wine, but she was craving something stronger. She’d only spent a few nights drinking during the school year, and those times were accidental. Now she wanted to lose herself on purpose. 

Drinking in a foreign country for the first time in months was dangerous, of course. But Jade couldn’t help herself. Dancing with Tori had been fun in the moment, but had left Jade feeling desperate and hurt. She hated being forced away from Tori. She wanted to stop feeling so hopelessly lost in her. 

Tori called a bartender over and ordered another glass of wine, then turned to Jade. Jade asked for two tequilas. 

“Woah, I thought you didn’t drink?” Tori laughed as the bartender left.

“I don’t,” Jade deadpanned. 

The bartender returned, and Jade immediately downed one of her drinks. Tori was really starting to worry, but promised herself she’d try to be fun. She sipped her wine and turned to Jade. 

“So...are you excited for the art museum tomorrow?” Tori asked. 

Jade nodded. “I looked it up when we were planning the trip.” 

Tori nodded awkwardly. “Cool…”

Jade rolled her eyes and downed the other vodka. 

“Sorry! Sorry! I know how you feel about being awkward,” Tori burst out, “I promise I didn’t mean to, I just didn’t know what else to talk about!”

Jade chuckled. “Relax. It’s fine. Try to loosen up!”

Tori took another sip of wine, then signaled the bartender. 

“Can I have a tequila?” she asked. 

Jade smiled. “I’ll take one too.”

* * *

Tori wasn’t very good at loosening up. 

For one, she didn’t like to drink. She  _ really _ didn’t like to drink tequila. And she  _ especially _ didn’t like to see Jade “loosening up.” Tori kept thinking of how they would have to walk back to the hotel, alone together, in the dark, in a foreign city. She wished Cat had stayed. 

Even though it was uncomfortable, drinking with Jade reminded Tori of high school in a heartwarming way. Jade was progressively getting louder, laughing harder, and drinking faster. She had the same carefree, dangerous energy that she’d had as a student at Hollywood Arts. Jade’s “drink like there’s no tomorrow” mindset was infectious, and instantly took Tori back to the crazy adventures they’d shared together. 

“Why are you here, Tori Vega?” Jade asked suddenly.

“What? Jade, you invited me to chaperone the trip.”

Jade shook her head aggressively. “No, no, I meant why are you  _ here? _ You’re not loosening up.” 

“I am!” Tori cried indignantly, crossing her arms.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Jade said, rolling her eyes and taking another swig of tequila. 

Tori smiled and scoffed. “How do you do it, then?”

Jade pushed a glass of tequila toward Tori. “Drink-off.” 

“No,” Tori laughed, “You’ll  _ destroy  _ me.”

“Loosen up!” Jade yelled, shoving the drink at Tori, “Don’t be Robbie!”

“Jade…,” Tori scolded.

Jade looked at Tori and raised an eyebrow.

“Ok, just because it’s true doesn’t make it nice,” Tori replied. Jade cackled as Tori grabbed her drink and raised it. 

Jade counted down from 3, then they chugged. Of course, Jade won. Tori coughed and grabbed a nearby glass of water as Jade cheered. 

“Nice try,” Jade said after she calmed down. She was staring deeply into Tori’s eyes and swirling her drink. 

Tori knew she shouldn’t, but she  _ really _ wanted to kiss Jade. She gazed into Jade’s eyes, fighting the urge to give in, until Jade finally turned back toward the bar and downed another drink. 

Tori sighed. Moving on was harder than she thought. 

* * *

_ SLAM! _

Jade’s glass collided with the bar as she spun to face Tori. She raised her hands in the air and pointed at Tori with flailing arms. 

“You know what I  _ hate? _ ” Jade roared, swaying in her seat, “Homophobia! It’s so *hic* stupid!”

Tori nodded carefully, grabbing Jade’s shoulders and steadying her. 

“Like, ok,” Jade slammed her elbow on the bar and rested her head on her hand, still looking at Tori. “So  _ WHAT _ if I wanna kiss a girl? And, and...who gives a FUCK who I fall for? So what if I want Zendaya instead of Zac Efron? She’s still *hic* fucking  _ hot, _ so at least I have good taste, right?”

Tori’s heart pounded.

Jade dropped her gaze for a moment and put her face in her hands. “I hate so many things.” She looked back up at Tori. “But I  _ really _ hate my dad. My fucking dad! He’s garbage. Did you know he completely stopped talking to me after I dumped Beck? He was  _ soooo  _ disappointed in me! He doesn’t even treat me like I’m his fucking daughter anymore. So I guess it doesn’t matter who I bring home to him anymore. Ha! He probably wouldn’t even let us in the door. He’d probably spit in her face…”

Tori sipped her water awkwardly as Jade continued. 

“Fucking homophobes. They’re so stupid. Anyone who tells someone else how to live their life is fucking  _ worthless _ .” Jade spat. “I told him I like girls, y'know, when I broke up with Beck. My stupid fucking dad was like, ‘I thought you were gonna marry him!’ and I was like, ‘Wow, you’re dumber than you look! I want a wife, not a trophy husband!’ And then he pretty much pushed me out the door. Asshole.”

Tori froze. Her heart stopped, and she almost dropped the water she was drinking. 

_ I want a wife, not a trophy husband! _

Did Jade really say that? Was Tori really drunk enough to imagine things?

“At this point, I just want  _ someone _ , you know?” Jade said, taking another sip of tequila. “I want a fucking  _ good _ girlfriend, I want...ugh, I can’t say that, I can’t, don’t say that,  _ idiot _ .” 

“What?” Tori pressed.

“Nothing, I can’t, don’t say that…” Jade rambled. “Drink another drink with me, you look hot when you chug tequila.” She suddenly shut up, and Tori thought she noticed Jade blushing. But it was probably from the alcohol. 

Tori sheepishly took a sip of tequila. “Maybe we should start heading back to the hotel…”

Jade nodded. “Ok.”

* * *

Jade could stand, but couldn’t walk straight. As they walked down the sidewalk, she kept slamming into Tori or leaning into the street. Eventually, Tori decided they’d be safer if she let Jade lean on her. She put an arm around Jade’s shoulder and guided her toward the hotel. 

“I’ll remember everything in the morning!” Jade declared. “It’s horrible! I always wake up with a horrible fucking hangover and I remember  _ everything _ stupid I did! No matter how hard I try, I can never forget. I really don’t drink.”

“I hope you believe me when I say it,” Jade continued, turning to look at Tori and almost making them fall. “I really  _ don’t  _ drink. Don’t get this idea that I’m some kind of crazy fucking alcoholic, not that all alcoholics are crazy! I’m not crazy! and I’m  _ not _ an alcoholic, I just have a minor inconvenience with drinking, not a problem. I promise. I’m FINE!”

“Yeah, yeah, ok, just keep walking!” Tori replied nervously. “We’re almost there!”

“Seriously,” Jade sounded like she was on the verge of tears, “I know I don’t act like it  but I really care what you think. I really do. It matters. I don’t want you to hate me.”

“I thought  _ you _ hated  _ me _ ,” Tori smirked. 

Jade abruptly stopped walking. “No.”

Tori stopped and turned toward Jade. Jade’s eyes were wild and her hair was a mess. She stunk like booze and couldn’t stand still, but somehow Tori still wanted her. Tori  _ hated _ that she still wanted her. 

“No. I can’t say it and I shouldn’t say it but I really don’t hate you. I don’t. I…” Jade hesitated, then slapped herself in the face.  _ Hard. _

“OH MY GOD!” Tori yelled. “Are you ok? I think my mom heard that in California! Why the hell would you do that?”

Jade wasn’t listening. She was trying to walk again, so Tori wrapped her arm around her and held her up. “Stupid. Stupid fucking stupid idiot. Don’t say it. You  _ can’t _ say that, dumb fucking bitch,” Jade muttered to herself. 

They made it to the hotel, and Tori led Jade into the elevator. No one was around; it had to be past 2 in the morning. 

The elevator door closed, and Jade leaned against the wall. Tori turned to look at her and almost screamed. 

“ _ Jade! _ Oh my god, you’re bleeding!” Tori cried, grabbing Jade’s shoulders and holding her up, “you slapped yourself so hard your nose is bleeding, what the  **_fuck?_ ** ”

Jade laughed hollowly. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt!”

“Yeah, of course it doesn’t hurt, you’re drunk out of your mind,” Tori irritably replied, “Come on, I’ll clean you up.”

Tori dragged Jade into their room and sat her down on the couch. She swiftly grabbed a pack of tissues and held it to Jade’s face. Tori sighed and squeezed Jade’s nose.

“Do you have a cold water bottle or ice?” Jade nasally asked. 

“What? Why?”

“If there’s something cold on the back of my neck, it’ll stop quicker,” Jade explained. 

Tori blinked a few times, perplexed, then reached in the fridge and took out a bottle of water. She held it to Jade’s neck with one hand while she pinched Jade’s nose with the other. 

“Do you hate me?” Jade asked quietly. 

Tori glanced at the bloody tissue in her hand, then to Jade’s knotted hair that was flowing over the water bottle hand. She sighed and thought about how tired she was, and how she’d much rather fall into her bed and sleep than deal with Jade’s mess. 

“No, I don’t hate you,” Tori replied. “I never hated you, except for when you poured coffee on me and called me a dog because I touched Beck.  _ Kinda _ hated you then.”

Jade cackled. “What’s the prob, dog?” 

Tori chuckled and grabbed a new tissue. How could she have hated Jade, and now want to kiss her?

“I’m gonna throw up,” Jade announced as she pushed Tori out of the way and barfed all over the floor. 

* * *

Once Jade’s nose stopped bleeding and the vomit was cleaned, Tori helped Jade into bed and cleaned herself up. She dragged a trash can over to Jade’s bedside in case she vomited again, then changed and slipped into bed. 

Tori sighed and stared at the ceiling through the dark. 

What a night. She’d had a delicious steak, laughed her head off, drank too much, cleaned vomit, and fallen for Jade. 

Wait, she’d fallen for Jade. And Jade was gay. 

_ I want a wife, not a trophy husband! _ Jade had  _ really _ said that. She’d said she wanted a girlfriend, and she would’ve said more but...she didn’t.

Tori’s heart pounded. Everything was different now. If Jade was gay, maybe Tori had a chance. Maybe she didn’t have to move on. 

Or maybe moving on just got a  _ lot _ harder. 

Tori’s eyes closed involuntarily as she fell asleep. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!
> 
> I'm SO sorry this is late! I really just wanted to do it right, and I was really pressed for time yesterday so I didn't want to rush and put out crap. :)
> 
> the comments i just :,,,) they are SO sweet! I realized I forgot to respond to a lot of comments recently so I caught up on those this weekend. I love y'all so much and really appreciate the love for this fic :)
> 
> new chapter next weekend
> 
> see y'all soon!   
> jenna :)


	16. 4:03 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade reflects on last night, and why she doesn't drink.

Jade woke up to an intense pounding in her head and swore quietly. She slowly stretched her arms and remembered she’d gone to sleep in her clothes. Feeling nauseous, exhausted, and confused, she pulled herself out of bed and walked into the bathroom. 

It was still dark outside and the lights were all off. Jade picked up her phone, which was charging by the sink for some reason, and checked the time.

_ 4:03 _ . They were supposed to get up at 7:30. Jade sighed. 

Setting down her phone, Jade looked up into the mirror at herself. 

Her makeup was smeared across her face, and her hair had tangled into what looked like one massive knot. Jade raised a hand to her nose, which still felt groggy but thankfully didn’t hurt. She realised she had a light mark across her face from the slap. Jade scoffed. 

The memories were coming back now. Jade watched last night unfold like a movie, and slowly realized what she’d done. 

Of course. One drink had led to too many, until she outed herself. 

Just like last time. 

The old memory came back in fragments, but eventually Jade was reliving it. 

* * *

She was just starting graduate school. Beck was acting, and had just gotten cast as the lead in a highly anticipated movie, so they went out drinking with some friends. Eventually, their friends had left, and she was alone with Beck at the bar. They were both wasted. 

Jade knew she was gay after a few months of dating Beck. She’d gone to a party, without telling him or her Hollywood Arts friends, and ended up kissing a girl in the bathroom. At first she thought it was the alcohol, but Jade quickly realized that girls made her feel better than Beck, or any “hot” boy, ever could. 

After highschool, she’d considered dumping Beck and finding a girlfriend. She’d come close, but had always been afraid of being rejected and left alone. Jade couldn’t  _ stand _ being alone. She’d kept Beck around for company, and occasionally, a warm body. But she never felt anything with him. Beck didn’t mean anything to Jade romantically, but he was her closest friend, and she couldn’t imagine being without him. 

However, his love for her eventually made her resent him. She wished he’d break up with her, because at least then she’d be able to stay in the closet. Jade was terrified of coming out before she had a girlfriend. She knew some of her friends would hate her, and, of course, she’d lose Beck for good. 

Beck could never know that Jade was lesbian. Eventually, she planned on convincing him that she was bi, so at least he wouldn’t be hurt by knowing their relationship was a lie. 

But she never got the chance. 

She got too drunk and let slip that she liked girls. Beck was confused at first, but as he became angry, pushed Jade into coming out as lesbian. She even admitted that she’d never loved him. 

He almost cried. She knew she shouldn’t have said it, but she was drunk and he’d irritated her. 

She went home to her dad’s in an Uber while Beck went back to his apartment. Jade usually stayed the night at Beck’s to get away from her father, but not that night. 

Her dad started screaming the second Jade walked in the door. Apparently, Beck had called him to thank him for “everything he’d done” for Beck and Jade, which Jade laughed at, since her dad had  _ barely _ tolerated the two of them. 

But Beck had also outed her. 

Jade was furious. She absolutely exploded, drunkenly screaming and throwing things at her dad as he yelled slurs and declared that he “didn’t have a daughter anymore.” Then she grabbed her suitcase and as many other bags as she could carry, stuffed them with her belongings, and slammed the door behind her. Her dad made sure to scream another slur at her as she walked into the street.

Stumbling and fuming, Jade called another Uber and rode to Cat’s apartment. Poor Cat had no idea what was happening, but graciously offered her couch to Jade. Jade stayed at Cat’s until she could buy her own apartment, then finished graduate school and applied for a job at Hollywood Arts. 

She never spoke to Beck or her father again. 

Drinking had destroyed Jade that night. She’d lost her family and Beck with one mistake, and suffered through her worst nightmare. Beck had outed her to almost everyone, and while some friends were supportive, no one could replace the comfort that Beck had given Jade. Once she rebuilt her life, she vowed never to drink again. 

Instead, she threw herself into her work. She fell into a depression without Beck, and once Cat’s career blew up, Jade was completely alone. She didn’t bother searching for new friends, or a girlfriend. She was miserable, but tolerated her misery in order to stay sober. Jade ignored her problems, and stuffed her sexuality back in the closet and forgot about it. 

Until Tori. 

* * *

Jade grimaced as she remembered how devastating coming out had been before. Now, she’d made the same mistake again. She would lose Tori. She would be alone again, but now she didn’t have Cat to turn to. Jade shivered and sat down on the bathroom floor. 

_ Tori didn’t freak out _ , Jade suddenly reminded herself.  _ Tori was sweet and helpful and didn’t yell. Maybe she won’t leave me _ .

Or maybe she was faking it. Maybe Tori was just being Tori, and was secretly disgusted. Jade started panicking again and felt herself shivering uncontrollably. She looked up at her phone and went through her list of calming strategies. 

_ I should listen to music. There’s nothing else I can do now.  _

Jade reached for her phone and opened it. She flicked through Instagram, and noticed André’s latest post. He was with María in France. They were both beaming and had their arms wrapped around each other. 

_ Je t'aime tellement, bébé _ , the caption read. Jade tapped the translate button. 

_ I love you so much, baby _ . 

The comments were filled with André’s obsessive fans. They  _ really  _ loved him and María together. Jade scrolled through the comments mindlessly.

_ ACTUAL GOALS. _

_ Love my parents so much omg _

_ ship ittttt _

_ KING andre love u <333 _

_ GET MARRIED ALREADY AHHHH _

Jade chuckled quietly. A single tear fell out of her eye and hit the screen. She went to wipe it with the sleeve of her shirt…

Suddenly, the door of the bathroom pushed open.

Jade tried to stand but lost her balance. She quickly wiped her eyes and shut off her phone. Tori was standing in the doorway, looking down at Jade. 

“What are you doing on the floor?” Tori asked, kneeling down, “Did you throw up again?”

Jade shook her head. “I’m fine. I was just getting up.”

Tori stepped back to give Jade room to stand. Jade flipped her hair out of her face and glanced down at the floor uncomfortably. 

“...Jade, you’re crying.”

Jade pushed past Tori and went back to her bed. “What time is it?”

“5:30. I woke up and saw you in the bathroom and thought you might be throwing up again,” Tori replied, sitting on her own bed. “Why were you up?”

“It doesn’t matter…” Jade muttered, crawling back into bed. 

For a moment, they were silent. Jade could feel Tori watching her, but just continued to stare at the wall. She could hear rain falling outside. 

“Do you… remember last night?” Tori asked calmly. 

Jade sighed loudly, but didn’t face Tori. “Of course I do. I told you, I always remember,” she replied. 

Jade heard Tori shift awkwardly. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Tori responded softly. 

The rain was falling loudly now. Jade heard someone move in the room above them. She felt confused and anxious, but rolled over to look at Tori anyways. 

Tori was wearing her glasses. Her hair was tangled and her eyes looked tired, yet concerned. She was wearing a tank top and sweatpants. Her arms were crossed in front of her, and she was staring intently at Jade. 

“Do  _ you _ wanna talk about it?” Jade said flatly. 

Tori shrugged. 

“I meant what I said,” Jade continued, desperately trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m...I like girls. I’m gay. I don’t like guys. I  _ never _ liked Beck. I’m a lesbian. Are we done talking now?”

Tori didn’t respond. Jade rolled back to face the wall. 

“Ok. Do you wanna go back to sleep?” Tori asked.

“Yeah,” Jade said, pulling the covers up to her face. 

Tori stood. “Because I was gonna watch OITNB, but if you’re too tired, I guess I’ll just watch ahead... without you… and you won’t see my reaction…”

Jade smirked. She rolled over and sat up. 

“I’d  _ love _ to see you try, Tori Vega,” Jade taunted, moving over to sit with Tori.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!
> 
> sorry this is late again! I had a bit of writer's block :(  
> so this chapter was a lot sadder than the previous ones (oof) but the next one should be fluffier.   
> I don't have a whole lot of homework this week so it should be up on time (sunday night/monday morning) :)
> 
> see y'all soon!  
> jenna :)


	17. Art Museum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group visits an art museum, and Tori makes a move...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LMAO HI EVERYONE!! x)
> 
> I am SO sorry I went off the grid. I meant to put out this chapter about a week after the previous one, but then I ended up starting a new job and that took all of my attention. I had the chapter finished but forgot to post it, and then COVID-19 resulted in the lockdown (as I'm sure y'all remember haha). Obviously, I had soooo much more free time, and fully intended to use the lockdown as a chance to finish the entire fic. Unfortunately, (oversharing on the internet let's goooo) I suffered a death in the family around April/May and didn't come back to writing for a few months. I made the decision to wait to post the final few chapters in one go, because I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to hold myself to finishing it at a specific time. I knew things would just keep coming up and it was just better to take my time rather than get y'all excited for an ending and ghost again x(
> 
> With that being said, if you're still excited to see the ending of this fic:  
> 1\. I really appreciate that and your support is what pushed me to come back in 2021 :)  
> 2\. I'll be posting a chapter daily for the next three days. The third day (Chapter 20) will be the ending!  
> 3\. *still in the planning phase* I've been considering some spin-off ideas for a while, because I'm just a sucker for the teacher AU :) If I do end up doing one of these, I'll try to have a significant bit of it written BEFORE I start posting, and if possible I'll post all of it the way I'm finishing this fic (daily uploads). 
> 
> I'm also planning on returning to my Nicky Nichols OITNB fic, but this fic comes first :)
> 
> I missed you guys!! I'm so excited to have this ending posted and to give some closure to those of you who are still invested!! Promise not to ghost again, haha :)  
> \- jenna

The next morning was sunny, but freezing. Tori stepped off the bus and held her arms tightly against her chest, shivering. Jade walked over and stood behind Tori as the rest of the group joined them.

“Welcome to the Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art!” Catalina declared once everyone was off of the bus. “Today, you’ll be allowed to wander around the museum on your own, but you  _ must _ stay with at least one other person. We’ll meet back by the entrance in a few hours and head to lunch. Have fun!”

The students rushed inside, laughing and talking excitedly. Many of Jade’s art students were also in the Drama Club, and they were especially excited to see the art of Argentina. Of course, Jade was excited too. Tori chuckled as she watched Jade struggle to stay still and contain her excitement. 

They walked into the first exhibit room together as the students spread out across the museum. Tori strolled around, admiring the paintings. As she neared the end of the room, she noticed Jade was still far behind.

Tori walked carefully back over to Jade and waited. Not wanting to bother Jade, Tori kept silent and looked at the painting. It was beautiful, but Tori felt like she didn’t know enough about art to really understand it. 

Jade spent  _ forever _ at every piece. She’d stare at it, then move and stare from a different angle, then nod her head slightly and stare for another minute. Tori felt agonized as she waited for Jade to move on, but also smiled as she saw how happy the art made Jade. 

They finally came to a painting that covered almost the whole wall: a group of people wandering through a green forest. No one else was in the room at this point, and Tori stood quietly next to Jade as they looked at the painting together. Tori looked at Jade and watched her eyes scan the painting and glint with fascination.

Slowly but steadily, Tori slipped her hand into Jade’s and rested her head on Jade’s shoulder. 

Tori felt Jade’s body tense slightly and began to panic, but after a moment Jade relaxed. The butterflies in Tori’s stomach subsided as she realized how comfortable she felt. Being with Jade felt so new to Tori, but also familiar. Jade was a wild adventure and a cozy home. 

Tori lifted her head and grinned. At least she knew she wasn’t falling for a straight girl.

* * *

Jade was falling for a straight girl. 

She was  _ beyond _ “falling” for a straight girl. She was lost in a straight girl. Despite trying her best to move on and ignore her maybe-feelings for Tori, Jade was falling harder than ever before. 

Maybe it was the way Tori stood close to Jade whenever she had the chance. Maybe it was the way she didn’t move on and leave Jade alone. Maybe it was the way she’d been watching Jade more than the art. Maybe it was the way she’d grabbed Jade’s hand and put her head on Jade’s shoulder like they were together. 

Jade didn’t care. It was too late. She’d fallen for a straight girl. 

Holding Tori’s hand felt better than Jade could’ve ever imagined. She wanted to stay there, in front of the forest painting with Tori, for the next few days. Maybe forever, or at least until she got the nerve to talk to Tori. And kiss her. 

They walked out of the room and up to the next floor. They held hands until they reached the elevator, and Tori dropped Jade’s hand.

Jade’s mind was racing. 

_ She was just being a friend. She’s straight and that’s what straight friends do _ , Jade reasoned. The elevator doors opened and she and Tori stepped inside. They were alone, again.

_ If that’s the truth,  _ Jade thought, _ then why didn’t she do it before? _

Now she was hopeless. Realizing that Tori was clearly acting differently was enough for Jade’s heart. She could convince herself that she had a chance. Maybe it wasn’t all in her head…

_ Stupid. _ They stepped off the elevator and into the next part of the museum.  _ Just stop. Be her friend and shut the hell up. _

After the museum, the group stopped and ate empanadas for lunch again. Tori and Jade sat together while the students sat in small groups. Cat was sitting with Tori and Jade, but kept standing and walking around to talk to the students and the restaurant staff. 

“Is it me or does Cat know everyone?” Tori chuckled as Cat squealed and hugged one of the waiters. 

“She knows most of the city,” Jade replied. “And definitely all of the waiters.” 

Tori giggled, and Jade blushed. 

_ Shit, she’s cute when she laughs like that,  _ Jade thought before she could stop herself. 

“Um, anyways,” Jade spluttered. “Uh, what are you doing with the rest of your summer?”

Tori smiled and brushed her hair out of her face. “Not much. Probably just stay at home for most of it. I might go visit my parents every once in a while, and I might go see Trina in New York. What about you?”

Jade nodded. “Same. I guess I’ll paint, and probably get a temporary job or something,” she blushed again as she realized what she’d said.

Tori frowned. “Do you...need a temporary job?”

Jade was silent. She stared out the window solemnly. 

Thankfully, Cat sat back down at the perfect time. Jade turned back to the table as Cat grabbed a water and drank half of it. 

“That was my best friend’s brother!” Cat exclaimed. “I haven’t seen him since high school! He used to play the drums in a band with my cousin.”

Tori laughed. “That’s awesome! He looked so happy to see you.”

Cat’s eyes widened. “Really? I didn’t think he’d missed me. We didn’t talk much back then, but our families were close, of course.”

“Oh, he was  _ definitely _ happy to see you,” Tori winked and grinned. 

“Like  _ that? _ ” Cat replied, blushing and looking away.

“Yes! You totally have a chance,” Tori cried, “He’s not a stranger, and he sounds like a good guy. You should go for it and ask him out!”

“I’m not sure,” Cat muttered, “we haven’t talked in so long.”

Tori touched Cat’s shoulder sympathetically. “You’ll never know if you don’t try. And you should  _ definitely _ try with this one.”

Cat grinned and nodded, then stood up again. “Thank you, Tori. I’ll let you know what he says.”

As Cat walked away, Jade took a sip of water and looked back at Tori. She was beaming and watching Cat stroll toward the waiter. 

“I don’t need a temporary job,” Jade blurted out. “I shouldn’t need a temporary job. I’m responsible with money, I just… spend a lot on art supplies.”

Tori laughed. “Jade, it’s fine. I’ll probably need a summer job too, honestly.” 

Jade sipped more water and nodded. 

Suddenly, Tori’s face lit up. “Oh my god, we should get jobs together! Like at an ice cream place or something! That would be so fun!”

Jade smiled. “Yeah, let’s do it.”

And then Tori was grabbing Jade’s hand again, across the top of the table. Jade felt a wave of nervousness wash over her and glanced up at Tori. Jade couldn’t decipher Tori’s face, but she was staring intently at Jade’s face.

_ What the fuck is going on? _ Jade wondered. 

* * *

The bus drove the group back to the hotel, and Tori and Jade offered to walk some students to the grocery store to buy more water and snacks. While the rest of the students headed back to their rooms, Jade, Tori, and the other students made their way outside and started down the street. 

It was raining now, and colder than the morning. Tori had forgotten to bring her umbrella, so she and Jade were walking quickly toward the store as the students followed. 

They made it in a few minutes, and the students split up to grab their food. Jade waited at the front of the store while Tori grabbed another couple bottles of water for the two of them. As she headed down the aisles, she spotted some Kinder eggs and couldn’t help herself. Tori hadn’t had a Kinder egg since her family trip to Mexico in her freshman year of highschool, so she grabbed a Disney Princess egg for herself and a Spider-Man egg for Jade and checked out. 

The group rushed back to the hotel as the rain poured down. Dinner was in an hour, and they were supposed to stay in the hotel rooms until then. When they returned, the students crammed into an elevator while Jade and Tori took the steps. 

Jade swiped her key and flung the door open, tearing off her jacket and flopping on the couch. Tori set the waters in the mini-fridge and sat down on her bed as she took off her shoes.

Jade had turned on the TV and was trying to watch the news in Spanish. 

“Do you even understand what they’re saying?” Tori laughed.

Jade shrugged. “Some of it. I took Spanish 5, but I guess I forgot a lot of it.” She scoffed. “Señora Graham would be muy triste.” 

Tori chuckled and glanced at the floor, then back up at Jade. Jade was staring at the TV and didn’t look at Tori.

“Can you come here?” Tori asked softly. 

Jade’s head turned suddenly. “What do you mean?”

“Come here.”

Jade raised an eyebrow and muted the television, then slid to the side of the couch

that was closest to Tori. “I’m moving because I want to,” she declared. 

“Closer,” Tori said.

Jade stood, rolled her eyes, and took a step toward Tori. Tori rose from her bed and looked at Jade, their faces just a few inches apart. Jade was staring sharply into Tori’s eyes as always, her face completely expressionless. Tori glanced down at Jade’s lips, then back to her eyes, then finally closed the gap between them and kissed Jade softly. 

Immediately, Jade’s entire body froze in shock. 

She felt Tori pull back, then sit back on the bed. Jade’s eyes fluttered open as she realized what had happened.

_ She kissed me.  _ Jade could sense Tori searching her face for a reaction.  _ Wait, she actually kissed me? _ Jade’s mind raced.  _ WTF? Oh my god, do it again. _

“Oh my god,” Tori was saying, “Oh shit, I am  _ so _ sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking, Jade, I--”

The words faded as Jade flew at Tori. Pushing Tori back onto the bed, Jade’s hands reached for Tori’s jaw as their lips met once again. 

_ Finally,  _ Jade thought as her whole body burned with longing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH the big moment we've been waiting for ;))))  
> ps: I don't write smut but y'all can use your imaginations
> 
> Next chapter will be up tomorrow! :)


	18. Jori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey!! So this chapter is set up a little differently bc I was inspired by someone's comment (i looked but i can't figure out who it was :/ if it was you feel free to remind me haha!). Basically, this is written from the perspective of a group of students who went on the trip and realized Jade and Tori were hiding something ;)  
> This chapter starts with the meeting (chapter 6), then skips to 
> 
> If you want, feel free to skip this chapter bc I know some of y'all just want the main plot. That'll be back tomorrow and the ending will be out the next night. 
> 
> Obviously, if you were on the archive last night, you saw the crash. Personally, I found it hilarious and loved seeing the dream team stans have their moment (even if it kept me from my nightly binge) :)
> 
> see y'all tomorrow!  
> \- jenna

“CHLOE!” a girl screamed from the front row of the theater.

The quiet girl who had just entered grinned and raced toward the front. Her loose glasses bounced on her nose as she ran and her shoelaces threatened to trip her. She shoved her glasses up her nose irritably and threw her backpack at a chair next to her friends. 

“Hey Meg! Thanks for saving me a seat,” Chloe said. 

“What took you so long?” the first girl asked anxiously as she stood to let Chloe squeeze into the row. 

Chloe smiled. “I had to finish up a scene for Sikowitz. Where’s Jessie?”

“She’s coming,” a boy next to Chloe replied. “How’ve you been, Chlo? I never see you anymore!”  
Chloe squealed and hugged the boy. “Oliverrr! I _hate_ that we don’t have classes together! How are you and Charlie??” 

“Great!” another boy, Charlie, answered with a grin. “Excited for the trip?”

“Of course!” Chloe beamed. “Meg, we’re rooming with Jessie, right?” 

Meg nodded as Jessie arrived.

Chloe waved as Jessie sat down, and suddenly the group of students went quiet. Ms West was ready to start, and the new teacher was with her for some reason. 

“Alright, so, some of you were here yesterday for the Evita meeting, blah blah blah, whatever, who wants to go to Argentina? Raise your hand,” Jade West declared. 

Everyone’s hands shot up, and the students laughed. Chloe and her friends looked at each other happily. Seeing Evita’s grave would be a dream come true. 

“Do you know Tor–uh, Ms. Vega, the music teacher?” Ms West asked suddenly. Chloe quickly snapped out of her daydream of Evita’s grave and looked at Ms Vega. 

Chloe knew Ms. Vega, of course. She was young, and she’d gone to Hollywood Arts when she was in high school. She had sang the song she auditioned with on the first day of school, and ever since, she’d been one of Chloe’s favorite teachers. 

“Whatever, she’s chaperoning the trip with me,” said Ms West. Chloe beamed as she realized she could go to Buenos Aires with her two favorite teachers. 

Ms West started to explain their agenda, but was interrupted by Ms Vega several times. Chloe chuckled as West reluctantly listened to all of Vega’s suggestions. 

Suddenly, Ms Vega was smirking. “Well, what about...tango?”

And...Ms Vega was no longer Chloe’s favorite teacher. 

“Bitchhhh!” Jessie whispered excitedly to Chloe, “we HAVE to do tango!” 

Chloe shook her head firmly. “Never! Can you imagine?”

Meg laughed. “Loosen up, Chlo! Oliver and Charlie will do it, right guys?”

Before the boys could answer, Ms West loudly protested. However, she eventually agreed to let the students take a lesson after some coaxing from Vega. They finalized the agenda together, then Ms West shut her computer. 

“Ok, bye,” she declared. Chloe and the drama club stood and grabbed their bags as Ms West shooed them out the door. “Drama, remember there’s practice tomorrow. Choir, you need to be here _early_ on Thursday so we can work extra on ensemble parts for _Evita._ Also, Chloe, you need to visit me tomorrow before school so I can give you another copy of your script. The original was missing pages.”

Chloe nodded and thanked Ms West as Ms Vega walked toward them. 

“Are you Eva Perón?” Ms Vega asked eagerly. 

Turning back to face the teachers, Chloe nodded. “Oh, uh, yeah!” 

“Oh my god! You totally deserve it! I remember you from class, you have the most _amazing_ voice!” Vega gushed as Ms West walked back toward the stage. 

Chloe grinned. “Thanks! See you tomorrow!” 

After waiting anxiously for _months,_ Chloe, Jessie, Meg, Oliver, and Charlie were finally at the airport and ready to fly to Buenos Aires. Jess, Meg, and Chloe had driven together with Jessie’s parents, while Oliver and Charlie had taken Ollie’s car. After meeting at the door, they were waiting with their classmates for Ms West and Ms Vega.

“Ok but actually,” Charlie yelled, “I’m _starving_. Can they hurry the fuck up?”

“For _realllll_ ,” Meg replied, rolling her eyes. “Love them, would _die_ for them, but they need to step it up!”

“Relax, isn’t that them?” Jessie said, pointing across the airport at two young women walking together. 

Chloe chuckled. “They stopped for coffee.”

“Of _course_ they did,” Meg scoffed. “At least they’re finally here.”

Oliver suddenly grabbed Charlie’s arm, stepped closer to the girls, and whispered to everyone, “ok, but do you ship it though?”

Meg and Jessie cackled loudly while Chloe shoved Oliver away and snickered. Charlie grabbed his suitcase and waved goodbye, pretending to walk out of the airport as the group roared with laughter. 

“Ok but,” Charlie said as he returned, “a _little_ , not gonna lie.”

The seats in the airplane were assigned, but luckily, Chloe managed to trade with someone else from their group and sit with Oliver and Jessie. She had agreed to take the middle because she was the smallest, but Jessie had offered her candy anyways as a thank-you gift. Chloe sighed and grinned again as she remembered where she was. 

“Can you believe we’re finally leaving?” Jessie cried as she shook Chloe’s shoulder happily, “We get to see Eva’s grave in a few _days!_ And go to the Casa Rosada! And eat Argentine food and stuff!”

“I literally couldn’t sleep last night,” Chloe laughed. 

“I literally shit my pants this morning,” Oliver replied, “also not me being a stalker but Vega and West are right there, so y’all already _knowwww_ I got a perfect seat if any gay shit goes down.”

“You’re a gay shit,” Jessie whispered.

Oliver raised his eyebrows and cried, “I mean, you’re not wrong, because I’m literally celebrating my 6-month with my _boyfriend_ tomorrow, you _WISH_ you could, so anyways next question...”

“Girl, you get to spend it together in _ARGENTINA!!!_ ” Chloe squealed. “Literally, y’all need to _stop_ being perfect.”

“Can’t, sorry Chlo,” Oliver replied as he put his earbuds in. “Look what I bought him---” suddenly, the plane started and he was cut off.

Chloe closed her eyes and breathed deeply. This was it. She was _finally_ on her way to Buenos Aires. She smiled again and realized her face was starting to hurt from all her smiling. 

Oliver and Jessie were suddenly hitting Chloe’s arms, causing her to sit up quickly and look at them irritably. They were pointing at the teachers and squealing quietly as they cackled.

“What the fuck? What’s happening?” Chloe asked, turning from Oliver to Jessie and back again.

Oliver pointed again and replied, “Jessie saw them holding hands. Look!”

Chloe craned her neck to get a better look, then noticed. Sure enough, Ms West was gripping Ms Vega’s hand. 

“The way y’all _NEED_ Jesus,” Chloe rolled her eyes, which only made Oliver and Jessie laugh harder. 

* * *

The three friends had spent the first hours of the flight playing Uno together on Chloe’s table, then watched movies until the cabin lights turned off. Now Oliver was playing some pottery game on his phone, Jessie was writing fanfiction, and Chloe was drawing on her tablet. Charlie had walked by about an hour ago to use the bathroom, and also to say goodnight to Oliver. _Only_ Oliver, for the most part, while Chloe and Jessie giggled quietly and teased them. 

Chloe closed out her drawing and opened Wordscapes. She completed a few levels, then turned to Oliver.

“So,” she started, “What’s up?”  
He shrugged. “Not much. I was lowkey trying to watch _Orange Is The New Black_ on Ms West’s phone but she turned it off. I don’t really wanna sleep though.”

“Same,” Chloe responded, “What are you most excited for?”

Oliver thought for a moment, then replied, “Probably getting to see everything with you all. And Charlie. Like, I couldn’t _imagine_ a better group. Honestly.”

“For real,” Chloe stretched and put her tablet away. “Actually, I think I’m gonna try to sleep. It’ll be early when we land.”

“True. Night!”

* * *

It was the second day of their trip. The group had just visited La Casa Rosada, and now they were exploring La Boca in small groups. Chloe, Jessie, Meg, Charlie, and Oliver were visiting every store they could find and spending thousands of pesos together while they laughed and teased each other. 

“Why don’t we have a ship name for Charlie and Oliver yet?” Jessie declared, and the whole group stopped walking. 

“Oh my god, you’re so right,” Chloe replied, hushed and disbelievingly. “Charliver?”

Oliver gagged. “That sounds _disgusting_. No hate.”

“What about ‘Olivlie?’” Meg proposed. 

Oliver shrugged, and Charlie replied, “Better.”

“Instead of Charliver, Chariver. Like river because you two _flow_ so nicely together,” Jessie stated proudly. The rest of the group burst out laughing. 

“PERFECT!” Charlie yelled, causing some people on the street to look toward him. “FUCKING PERFECT! CHARIVERRRR!”

Oliver kissed his boyfriend as they ducked into another store. 

“I was actually thinking about this earlier and don’t judge but…,” Jessie continued, “Ms West and Ms Vega would be Vest because...I don’t know, vests are cool...or like, Jori or something because their first names are Jade and Tori.”

“I like Jori better, honestly,” Meg replied, and Oliver nodded in agreement.

Chloe chuckled. “We’re still shipping them?”

“I know, right girl?” Charlie said as Oliver shook his head. 

“Honey, we never _stopped_ ,” he argued, walking up to the front of the group. “Did you know they went to Hollywood Arts at the same time? Sikowitz told me one day, and Jess saw them hold hands on the plane. Plus, they’re _always_ together––”

“––as they should be,” Chloe replied, “they’re the only two adults besides Catalina.”

“But they’re always _super_ close to each other or touching each other subtly! AND they’re sharing a room and...we _all_ know how that one goes…” Oliver flicked his tongue to illustrate his point, sending the group into an uproar that almost got them thrown out of the store. 

Chloe shook her head definitively, “Not enough proof.”

Oliver smirked. “ _Yet._ ”

* * *

“Ok Oliver,” Chloe said as she sat down with her breakfast. Oliver and Charlie had already grabbed a table and were feeding each other fruit when Chloe and the girls arrived. Oliver’s head spun around to look at Chloe as she spoke.

“What?” he yawned.

Chloe smirked. “You were right.”

“About what?”

“... _Jori_ ,” Chloe whispered. 

Oliver broke into an almost evil-looking smirk. “YES, I _knew_ you’d see it! Was it the tango lesson?”

“Of course,” Jessie chimed in, “They literally had bedroom eyes.”

“ _NEVER_ say that again, but you’re kinda right,” Chloe admitted. 

Charlie chuckled and shook his head slightly as he let go of Oliver’s hand and went for more food. Oliver grinned and waved dismissively, then leaned into the table.

“I _heard_ ,” he muttered, looking around carefully to make sure no one else was listening, “West got wasted at the bar last night and Vega had to save her.”

“What the fuck?” Meg replied, “Who told you that?” 

“David, Jack, and Henry’s room is next to theirs, and _allegedly_ ,” Oliver whispered. “They were up late and heard some noises in the hall, so Jack looked through the peephole and saw Vega dragging a _DRUNK_ West to their room. Like absolutely wasted. So all I’m saying is, _TEA_ , they got DRUNK together!”

“Imagine if we go back to school next year and they’re like, ‘oh hey senior class, remember us? we’re married now,’” Chloe said as Oliver laughed. 

He leaned back toward the table and declared, “I _knew_ they were gay from the start, and y’all should’ve trusted me!”

Charlie returned with more muffins and fruit, and Oliver kissed his cheek as he sat back down. “That’s on what?” Ollie asked.

“Period,” Charlie groaned as he grabbed a muffin. 

* * *

The art museum had been amazing, but Chloe was exhausted now. She and her friends had all agreed to visit the grocery store with Ms Vega and Ms West to buy snacks and water. Although she loved the idea of snacks, Chloe couldn’t wait to get back to the hotel room and relax. 

Chloe and Jessie ended up walking together in the back of the group, in front of the two teachers. Jess had been Chloe’s best friend since 2nd grade, and sometimes she was the only person Chloe could never get tired of. 

“What are you doing?” Chloe asked Jessie, who was scrolling on her phone while they walked. 

Jessie looked up from her phone as they crossed the street. “Looking up that artist they were featuring at the museum,” she replied. “She just had such a _unique_ ––”

“The artist on the second floor?” Ms West interrupted suddenly. “If you find her Tumblr or Splashface or something, can you let me know?”

“For sure!” Jessie grinned. “What was your favorite piece of hers?”  
Chloe rolled her eyes as Jessie moved to walk next to Ms West and chat about the art. They had to be almost halfway to the store by now…

Someone tapped Chloe’s shoulder. “Hey!” Ms Vega said cheerfully, “I don’t really understand art as much as Ms West does, but the museum was still pretty cool. What’d you think?”

“Oh, yeah, I loved it!” Chloe smiled. “This whole trip has been a _blast_ , by the way. Thanks.”

Ms Vega laughed. “Of course! Did you enjoy the grave? You were _amazing_ when you played Evita by the way. I know I already told you a thousand times, but CHLOE! You killed it.”

“Thank you so much!” Chloe chuckled. “You’re coming back to teach again next year, right?”

“Yep!” Ms Vega replied. 

“Do you like it?” Chloe asked politely. 

Ms Vega smiled slightly. “I love it. Hollywood Arts is just...always so _fun_. I can’t believe it took so long for me to come back, honestly.”

“Yeah,” Chloe said, “Was Sikowitz really your teacher? Was he still crazy?”

“Oh my god,” Ms Vega laughed. “He was the best. He still is the best, obviously. I had to do the Bird Scene before my first play, just like you all. And I always had so much fun performing with my friends. One time he had us pick roles from a hat and got all _sneaky_ when I wasn’t good at being married to Jade–er, Ms West.”

“You two were married?” Chloe laughed. 

Ms Vega blushed slightly. “In the show, yeah. I don’t really remember many of my other teachers, but Sikowitz was always so much fun.”

“So you and Ms West went to school together?”

“Oh yeah, we graduated together. I actually kissed her boyfriend on my first day,” Ms Vega laughed, “and she _hated_ me for at least two years. Her boyfriend ended up being one of my best friends, and we all were friends with Cat Valentine,” Ms Vega responded.

Chloe raised her eyebrows. “Like, _Cat Valentine?_ ”

“Yep! Our friend André called her Little Red.”

“Wow,” Chloe replied, “I never knew she went to Hollywood Arts. That’s awesome!”

Ms Vega smiled. “I’ll have to get her to come visit some day next year.” 

They were at the store now. Ms West pulled Ms Vega to the front of the group of students and explained that they’d only have 30 minutes to shop before they’d have to meet back in front of the store. 

“What were you talking about?” Jessie asked.

Chloe shrugged. “Just school stuff. She went to Hollywood Arts with Ms West and _Cat Valentine_.”

“They were friends?”

“Yep,” Chloe replied. “Don’t tell Ollie though or he’ll _freak_ and remind us _all_ that he was right about Ms West and Ms Vega from the beginning.” 

Jessie rolled her eyes. “Let’s find the others and grab some chocolate.”

* * *

“ _I saw them holding hands in the art museum!!!!_ ” 

Chloe slapped her friend as he practically belted to the group. Jessie began cackling and Chloe almost slapped her too.

“ _Shut the fuck up!_ ” Chloe whisper-sung. “They can _not_ hear us shipping them or we’ll get in serious trouble.”

“But _CHLOE!_ ” Oliver cried, “they _held hands_ in an _art museum_!”

“And you’re lowkey super fucking creepy for watching them!” Meg chimed in.

Oliver waved his hands dismissively and kept giggling. “Whatever bitch, I just love love. And they deserve to be in love.” 

“Fair, but they also deserve privacy,” Chloe added. 

“I didn’t watch them though! I saw them, and then Charlie and I walked away, because we respect them _and_ their privacy,” Oliver retorted. “But whatever. It’s confirmed and my day is made.”

“He _really_ loves love,” Charlie muttered to the girls. “As he should, but wow. He loves to see people happy. It’s adorable but also lowkey a lot.”

The gang laughed and entered the hotel. Chloe noticed the elevator doors ahead begin to close as Ms West and Ms Vega headed back to their room. Ms West was glaring intensely at the ground, and Ms Vega was fumbling for something in her bag. Her hand was shaking quite a lot, but Chloe dismissed it.

She yawned and entered another elevator with her friends. Tomorrow would be a long day of traveling. Argentina felt like a dream to Chloe, and she knew she’d miss it terribly, but at least she had her friends to remember the trip with someday.

  
  



	19. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori talk the morning after Tori kisses Jade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys!!
> 
> This chapter is kinda short, but the finale will be up tomorrow and I promise it’s longer. Sorry for the late upload time (it’s 1am for me rn), I had work today and stayed a bit later to help my work friend close :)
> 
> To everyone in/around DC, or if you have friends/family there, I’m thinking of you and hoping you’re ok. what’s happening is super messed up and needs to be corrected soon. 
> 
> fuck trump, and please be safe everyone <3  
> -Jenna

When the alarm began to ring and Jade felt Tori’s arms around her, she almost went back to sleep. Eventually Tori moved slightly, and Jade finally opened her eyes. 

Kissing. Stopping. _Holy shit_ , Jade had whispered. Tori giggling. More kissing. _What now?_ Laughing. _Do you wanna watch netflix?_ Cuddling. Leaving to go to dinner. 

Jade glanced across the room as she recalled last night. The window curtains were opened slightly, and light was filtering in. Tori’s cardigan was lying on the bedside table.

When they returned from dinner the night before, Jade had immediately changed and crawled into bed. She watched as Tori climbed in next to her and snuggled into Jade’s shoulder. Exhausted, Jade had fallen asleep holding Tori. 

Snapping back to reality, Jade rolled over to face Tori. She had already put her glasses on, and was smiling at Jade. Her hair flawlessly flowed down the pillow, and Jade started to wonder why she hadn’t kissed Tori at the start of every morning they’d spent in Argentina. 

“You’re pretty.”

Jade chuckled. “So what, you’re gay now?”

“Yeah,” Tori replied, “yeah, I guess I am.”

“What do you mean ‘I guess’? You either are or you aren’t. Which is it?” Jade glared at Tori intently, trying not to fall harder for her. 

“Ugh, I don’t know.” Tori closed her eyes and sighed. “I guess I never considered it. I just assumed I like guys, and I thought I was right, until…”

Jade waited.

“You’re gonna make me say it?” Tori chuckled.

“I don’t know what ‘it’ is, so yeah,” Jade answered.

Tori sighed again. “I thought I liked guys til I realized I like you. You...you’re different. I never questioned myself until you made me question things. I...um…”

“Do you actually like me though, or are you just confused?” Jade countered. “What about all the guys you’ve dated? Are you actually bi, or straight, or what the fuck?” 

“You make me feel a way I’ve never felt about a guy. I...I _could_ never feel like this about a boy. I’ve thought about it a lot, trust me. I’ve never wanted anything the way I...want you. Boys included,” Tori spilled. “I still don’t know if I’m bi, but I _know_ I’m gay for you.”

The silence deepened. The longer Jade looked at Tori, the more she believed her words. When Tori was lying, she refused to sit still. Now, even as Jade stared deeply into her, Tori didn’t budge. 

“Look, you don’t have to like me back. And I know you don’t like to talk about feelings, so if you don’t want to say _anything_ , you don’t have to,” Tori said. 

Jade shook her head slightly. “I just don’t know what to say. Ask me something.”

“Just...tell the truth.”

“I don’t know _how_ to tell the truth.”

Tori laughed. “Just try.”

“I don’t know what you wanna hear. ‘The truth,’ but _what_ about the truth? Ok, yeah, so,” Jade babbled, “The truth. You mean the _‘I lowkey had a crush on you in highschool but never said anything, even though you were probably gay the whole time and I could’ve avoided a lot of heartbreak if I was just honest’_ truth? Is that what you want me to say? Or, wait, ok… how about the version where _‘you walk into my classroom out of nowhere and I feel like I’m going to melt but instead I treat you like shit because that’s how it’s always been between us’_? And then we chaperone this trip together and I’m convinced I’m falling for a fucking straight girl and _you_ _kiss_ _me_? You held my hand in an art museum and put your head on my shoulder, and I had to try to convince myself it wasn’t a gay thing even though it’s definitely the GAYEST thing we could’ve done, besides have fucking sex.

“And you say you know I don’t like to talk about feelings, but do you _really_ want the truth?” Jade was stuck staring at Tori. “You aren’t scared of me, and you tried so hard to be nice to me even when I was CONSTANTLY a bitch to you, and I don’t think you have _any_ idea what you’re getting involved with. I’m a mess. I have _nothing_ under control, but you kissed me and you said you want me and you’re still just staring at me so just…,” Jade took a deep breath, “fucking make out with me already.”


	20. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade confesses what she's been keeping from Tori, and the trip group returns home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally here guys!! I'm super excited to post the ending for y'all after all this time. :)
> 
> I really didn't know how to end this fic haha. I didn't want it to be a cliffhanger, but I still have a lot of mini ideas for this au that I might end up posting as a one-shot fic. Idk yet, but here's the ending for now.
> 
> Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading, supporting, commenting, and enjoying this fic. I absolutely loved writing it (even if I couldn't always motivate myself to do so, once I did, it was always so fun). I'm lowkey gonna miss writing it, haha! 
> 
> hope to see y'all again someday :)  
> -Jenna

Jade’s stomach lurched again as the plane flew higher, and she prayed to every god she could remember people believing in. Eyes glued shut, Jade tried to focus on Tori. Tori’s hand was gripping Jade’s, and soon the plane would stop ascending. It had to stop soon. It _had_ to. 

Finally, as the plane stabilized, Jade’s words came tumbling out. 

“I was attracted to you in high school. I swore to myself that I wouldn’t let it become anything serious because I didn’t want to dump Beck, so I focused on hating you. I actually did hate you, because you kept reminding me that I was stuck in the closet and I thought you might get between me and Beck. I couldn’t lose Beck, so I hated you. But I also liked you.”

Tori rubbed Jade’s palm with her thumb, but said nothing.

Jade cleared her throat nervously and continued. “Beck was my best friend. He...understood me. I mean, you knew us. He was my rock. He had this way of controlling me that usually fucking _pissed_ me off, but like...sometimes it was nice. So I stayed with him. I told him everything...except that I wasn’t attracted to him.”

Both women chuckled, but then Jade’s face hardened.

“I really did care about him, though, and I wanted to tell him in the best way that I could. He’s such a genuine person and lying to him killed me every day. But if we broke up for good in high school, I knew other boys would try shit with me. And I just couldn’t be honest with him then, because I wasn’t ready. I started planning to tell him like, two or three days after graduation. Waiting for the right moment took forever, and then–”

“Hey, Ms. West?” 

A boy was standing in the aisle next to Tori’s seat. Tori immediately dropped Jade’s hand and turned to face the boy. 

“Uh, what’s wrong, bud?” Tori quickly asked. Jade hated being interrupted, and Tori knew it was best for everyone involved if she didn’t have to deal with this kid. 

The boy looked at Tori. “Oh, uh, my friends and I were just wondering what time we should tell our parents we’ll be home tomorrow. It’s no big deal though, if you’re busy right now.”

Jade loudly scoffed, and Tori kicked her. “Um, we’re not really sure yet, because 

the flight was a little late taking off,” Tori replied. “We should have a better idea when we make it to our connector flight in the U.S. I’ll make sure to let you guys know once we get there.”

“Ok, thanks!” The boy smiled and walked back to his seat. 

Reaching for Jade’s hand again, Tori chuckled. “Wow, ok. Anyways…”

“Anyways,” Jade sighed. “Um…”

Tori rubbed Jade’s shoulder. “You were talking about telling Beck.”

“Right. I told him and he fucked my life up,” Jade stared at the floor of the plane. “I fucked up and told him at the _worst_ time, in the _worst_ way, after we were already going through a rough time as friends AND his uncle was dying. I was in an addiction spiral, and he was constantly fucking with me... I drank too much that night and he was being obnoxious, so I just gave up on everything I’d worked for and told him.

“ _Everything_ went to shit. He kicked me out of his life and never looked back. In two days, I lost everything. We were living together at that point, but I was still storing a lot of my shit at my dad’s. I went to collect the shit at my dad’s and only had time to grab a suitcase and a backpack full of whatever I could quickly gather. He screamed the whole time. I had to run away and call an Uber two neighborhoods away because my father threatened to fucking shoot me. 

“I went back to Cat and left my things there, then headed to the apartment I shared with Beck. He wasn’t there, thankfully, so I had more time to make multiple trips and get everything I needed. Cat helped, but I tried to keep the details simple. ‘Beck and I broke up, so I can’t live with him anymore.’ She asked me if she could still be friends with both of us. I told her it was her choice, and eventually she stopped asking questions. 

“Sam was living with her too, so I slept on a mattress between their beds. They were always babysitting, so I worked three jobs to avoid being there. I quit drinking and started going to AA. At first, Cat tried to fix things between Beck and I, but I ended up telling Sam everything one night while Cat was gone. She got Cat to stop, but I knew I had to get out of there. I still felt like I wasn’t being honest, or living my life for _me._ And the constant reminders of Beck made me lose my mind, so my sobriety was a struggle.”

Jade was silent for a moment, so Tori interjected. “Did Sam and Cat know that?”

“Sam did,” Jade nodded. “Sam had her own...minor inconveniences with alcohol. She knew what triggered me and did her best to help. Cat knew I had a problem, and tried to help, but sometimes...I mean, she’s Cat. She did her best, but she didn’t really know _how_ to help.” 

“She _is_ Cat,” Tori replied.

“She was the one to put me in touch with Sikowitz,” Jade responded. “She told him most of the story, and then he convinced the principal to interview me as a possible music teacher. The interview went well, but the current music teacher decided to push her retirement back a year. I thought I could wait, but instead the principal hired me as a 2D art teacher. 

“I moved into my own apartment that fall. The first year was good, and I was starting to feel like I had my life under control again when...the music teacher retired.” Jade smiled slightly at Tori. 

Tori grinned, and Jade gently caressed Tori’s face. Tori leaned into Jade’s hand, and, still holding hands, reached for Jade’s waist with her free hand. Jade leaned in and kissed Tori lightly, then sat back and sighed.

“Yeah, so,” Jade continued, “I wanted you from the moment you walked into my classroom. You were still a walking Forever 21 ad, unfortunately, so I convinced myself _again_ that I couldn’t have you. This time it was almost impossible.”

“Jade?” Tori asked quietly.

“What?”

“You remember the night at the bar, right?” 

Jade chuckled. “I told you. I don’t forget things.”

“Did you mean to come out to me?”

Jade hesitated. “I think I forgot I was in the closet.”

Tori seized both of Jade’s hands, and they locked eyes. Jade held her breath, taken aback by the sudden movement. Neither woman moved or spoke, until Tori took a deep breath. 

“That song you always skipped when we listened to music together. ‘1950’ by King Princess,” Tori said. “I googled the lyrics and found it when you were asleep that night. I realized you were afraid. At first, I thought it was stupid. You’re never afraid.”

“You’d be fucking surprised,” Jade muttered.

“But you were afraid to come out to me. Why?”

Their eyes locked, and Tori watched Jade’s face start to crumble. Her eyebrow started to twitch, and she licked her lips nervously. Her ever-hard stare softened. When she spoke, her voice sounded small and fragile. 

“It is stupid,” Jade whispered, “You’re right. Being scared is stupid.”

Reluctantly, Tori understood what Jade couldn’t say. She gripped Jade’s hands tighter and spoke clearly, “I would never have done that. I could never leave you.”

“He used to say that too,” Jade replied softly, looking away from Tori.

Tori placed a hand under Jade’s chin and gently angled her face back up. Jade’s eyes were misty, and her hand was shaking subtly under Tori’s. As the first tear fell, Tori moved her hand to Jade’s cheek to wipe it.

“I mean it,” Tori assured, “and I promise to make you believe it.”

She kissed Jade, holding Jade’s face in her hands and leaning into her embrace. 

* * *

She never let go of Jade’s hand, until they were halfway through the U.S. airport. Dropping Jade’s hand for a moment to move through customs, Tori was nearly strangled by the absence of Jade. She collided with Jade when they went to the airport bathroom together, and again on the flight home to Hollywood. Touching Jade, being near her, was a necessity Tori couldn’t imagine surviving without.

“Move in with me,” Tori whispered into Jade’s ear as they watched OITNB and prepared to land in California.

Jade chuckled, and kissed Tori again. “I’ll think about it.”

Tori giggled and reached under the seat for her backpack. As she sat up, she felt Jade’s hot breath in her own ear. 

“But you’re staying with me tonight,” Jade breathed. 

Tori blushed and giggled again. “We can DoorDash breakfast.”

“Breakfast in bed.” Jade smirked, reaching an arm around Tori’s shoulders. 

“Speaking of breakfast…,” Tori replied, pointing to the flight attendant wheeling breakfast toward their seats. Quickly, Tori paused the episode and pulled the other tray down. 

She and Jade took their meals, thanked the flight attendant, and began eating together. The meal was decent, but definitely better than dinner had been. 

Tori couldn’t help but stare at Jade. She tried to angle herself so that she could eat and see Jade simultaneously, but Jade quickly caught her. 

“Are you watching me eat?” Jade laughed. 

“Yeah,” Tori responded. “You’re cute.”

“I’m not cute. Call me _anything_ else, babe.”

Tori grinned. “No, you’re _cuuute_ ,” she teased. “Adorable. Cutie. Baby. Light of my life. _Cute_ light of my life.”

“Stop it!” Jade whined, shoving Tori’s arm. “I liked ‘light of my life,’ though, so go back to that.”

“Oh, did you?” Tori countered. “That’s tough for you, because I liked ‘cute.’” 

Jade shook her head and sighed. “You’re really lucky _you’re_ cute. If you were anyone else, I’d dismember you.”

* * *

“ _Swinging in the backyard, pull up in your fast car, whistling my name.”_

Jade was driving (although she hated driving in daylight) while Tori wrote a final thank-you email to the students and parents. The car smelled of cinnamon and vanilla, since Tori wouldn’t stop rubbing her hands with lotion. Normally, smells irritated Jade when she was driving, but this smell wasn’t horrible.

“ _I’m in his favorite sundress, watching me get undressed_ ––”

“––Do you think it’s weird to give the seniors a shout-out, like ‘we wish all the best for our seniors, and can’t wait to see the rest of you next year in class!’ Or like what?” Tori asked.

Jade shrugged. “It’s kind of depressing for the others. Like ‘oh, just a reminder, you have school again in a few months. Try to enjoy your summer though, and don’t think about the upcoming doom!!!!’ you know?”

“You _would_ see it that way,” Tori sighed. “I just don’t know how to word it otherwise.”

“Honestly, leave it,” Jade replied. “The way you wrote it works perfectly.”

“Awwww, thanks baby!” Tori sang. “So helpful.”

Jade felt a kiss on her cheek and grinned. 

“And _cuteeee_.”

“FOR THE LAST _FUCKING_ TIME.”

Tori cackled and Jade swiftly flipped her off. 

“Please, you’re so adorable,” Tori laughed. “Even when you try to act mad at me. You’re just the cutest thing.”

“Use the c-word one more time,” Jade replied. “We’re not on an airplane this time, so I can totally drive into the desert and bury you.”

“Oh no,” Tori said sarcastically. She sent the email and cranked up the radio.   
“ _It’s you, it’s you, it’s all for you,_ ” Tori sang loudly. 

“ _Everything I do,”_ Jade chimed in. 

_“Tell you all the time, heaven is a place on earth with you_.”

Jade watched the buildings of the city grow larger. They were almost home, and she wondered whether Tori would change her mind once they arrived. 

“Hey,” Tori said, “Heaven is a place on earth with you.”

“What?”

“Heaven is a place on earth with you.”

“Thanks,” Jade replied.

Tori scoffed and chuckled. Jade reached her hand across the console and rubbed the top of Tori’s thigh.

 _“I heard that you like the bad girls, honey, is that true?_ ”

“You like the bad girls,” Jade smirked. 

“Nah,” Tori answered. “You like to think you’re bad, but really...on the inside...I know what you are.”

“If you say it, I’m strangling you.”

“...cute,” Tori whispered, then cracked up. 

“Just WATCH me turn this car around. I’ll ship you back to Argentina in a body bag.” 

* * *

Tori didn’t leave Jade’s house for another week. She didn’t have to, and she definitely didn’t want to. She washed her clothes that she’d worn on the trip, and only went home when Jade insisted that she needed some alone time. 

Throwing her suitcase on her bed, Tori jumped into her shower and immediately checked her phone when she was finished. She started the laundry, and checked her phone again afterwards. 

_Jade was serious about alone time,_ Tori thought. _And I literally saw her a few hours ago, but ugh. I miss her._

Trying to convince herself not to call Jade, Tori made herself some lunch and watched Netflix. She put away her clean clothes and sorted through her mail. Finally, she lit a candle and was just about to begin some yoga when she heard a knock on her door. 

“Alone time sucked,” Jade stated as Tori swung the door open.

Tori smiled. “If you’re spending the night here, you better have brought your toothbrush.” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Jade waved her hand dismissively and flopped onto Tori’s couch. 

Joining her, Tori snuggled close to Jade and beamed. Jade was right. Alone time sucked. 

“Are you my girlfriend?” Jade asked.

“I think so,” Tori replied. “If you want to, then yeah, let's be girlfriends. Why are you even asking?”

“I want to. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

  
  



End file.
